
Leclerc claims 'inconsistent' Mercedes have helped boost Ferrari
Leclerc claims 'inconsistent' Mercedes have helped boost Ferrari

Charles Leclerc thought Mercedes splitting their cars during the Japanese Grand Prix was an ‘interesting strategy’ but feels that Ferrari have the upper hand when it comes to the battle for second in the constructors' championship.
In Suzuka, Leclerc secured fourth place, while his teammate Carlos Sainz finished in sixth. They were split by Lewis Hamilton, who claimed fifth place, and closely followed by George Russell in seventh.
Mercedes adopted a two-stop strategy for Hamilton, whilst with Russell they opted for a one-stopper. The younger British driver pitted on lap 24, which meant that his second stint on the hard one was a super long one. Both Ferrari drivers went for a two-stop strategy.
Leclerc commented on Mercedes' intriguing strategy choice, stating: “They [Mercedes] are strong, especially in the race today they were on it. They put us a bit under a bit of pressure towards the end. Splitting the cars too, that was an interesting strategy.”
“They are strong in the race especially, in qualifying it’s a bit more inconsistent.”
Elaborating further, he added: “It’s going to be a very close fight [for second in the constructors’ championship] because we are a bit more inconsistent in the race, they are a bit more inconsistent in qualifying.”
“I have a feeling inside me that we’ve learnt good things in the last weekend that hopefully will give us the upper hand for the rest of the season.”
READ MORE: Alfa Romeo scramble to fix car with their HANDS in Bottas pit stop nightmareMcLaren shaking up the Mercedes-Ferrari duel
In terms of points for the constructors’ championship, Ferrari is not under threat from McLaren, as the Woking-based team is currently firmly rooted in fifth place.
To reach the third position held by the prancing horses, McLaren will first need to surpass Aston Martin in the standings and then close a substantial points gap.
But that doesn't mean they can't stir things up in the battle between Mercedes and Ferrari, as they proved in Suzuka by successfully snagging valuable points from both teams.
Leclerc acknowledged that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were a tough challenge, saying: “The McLarens were really strong today. There wasn’t much we could have done better.”

The Monegasque then reflected on the rest of his Sunday, saying: “I had to be a bit aggressive on the pass to George in order to not lose too much time. That worked well, and then just managed our tyres to the end, which we did well. Happy with today’s performance.”
Ferrari currently trails Mercedes by a margin of 20 points. However, with six races remaining in the season, they should have ample opportunities to close the gap.
READ MORE: Perez UNRETIRES from Japanese Grand Prix
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F1 Standings

Drivers
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Nyck De Vries
- Liam Lawson
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
-
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
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Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
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Grand Prix of Australia 2023
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Grand Prix of China 2023
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Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
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Miami Grand Prix 2023
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Qatar Airways Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
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Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
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AWS Gran Premio de España 2023
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Grand Prix du Canada 2023
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Grand Prix of Austria 2023
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Aramco Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
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Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
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Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
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Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
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Grand Prix of Italy 2023
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Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
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Grand Prix of Japan 2023
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Qatar Grand Prix 2023
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Grand Prix of the United States 2023
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Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
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Rolex Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2023
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Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
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Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
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