Leclerc, vice-world champion: “Take the next step next year”

It wasn't what the Monegasque wanted this season, but it's little consolation. Charles Leclerc ends the 2022 campaign as world vice-champion, beating Sergio Pérez in the process. An honorary title obtained thanks to a strategy perfectly executed by Ferrari, for once! Second in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the driver of the Team took the gamble of making only one stop, while Sergio Pérez, who started in front of him, chose safety with two pit stops. A risky but successful choice for Leclerc who had to resist the Mexican's return in the final laps.

“I was at 110% from the first round until the last! Honestly, we had a perfect race, we couldn't really do better, confided the Monegasque after the final round of the season. We knew that the only possibility for us to beat Checo [Perez] today was about having a different strategy and playing with tire management, and it went very well. We managed to make the one-stop strategy work, so I'm very, very happy. »

“I hope to fight for the championship” in 2023, confides Leclerc

Thanks to this result, Charles Leclerc finished in 2nd place in the championship, just ahead of Pérez. Not enough to really satisfy the Ferrari driver, who is aiming better for 2023. “I really hope we take it to the next level next year and can challenge for the championship. But if we take into account our position last year, it is already a big step forward. I think we have improved at the end of the season on strategies, we still have work to do on race pace because we are in more difficulty on Sundays. We will give everything this winter to catch up [Red Bull] » That’s all the bad we wish for Charles Leclerc…

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