Charles Leclerc makes championship vow after congratulating rival Max Verstappen

Japanese GP

Leclerc makes championship vow after congratulating rival Verstappen

Ferrari driver concedes defeat to Red Bull rival

Will Gray

Sunday 9 October 2022 13:06

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Charles Leclerc has vowed to 'push to the end' of the season despite Max Verstappen clinching a second world championship at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Leclerc led the championship for the first three races of the season with two victories and a second place to his name but Red Bull driver Verstappen roared back as Ferrari faltered.

The crown was finally secured at Suzuka, where Verstappen dominated in wet conditions to take victory whilst Leclerc missed out on second to Sergio Perez as a result of a last-corner penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Addressing the new double world champion, Leclerc said: "A huge congratulations to Max.

"We knew we expected him to win the world title.

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"Now we need to use those last races in order to become a better team and hopefully give him a bit more of a challenge next year. We will keep pushing to the end.”

Frustrating day for Leclerc in Japan

The race was delayed and shortened after a chaotic initial start saw Leclerc's Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz crash into the barriers to trigger a safety car before heavy rain fell to bring out the red flags.

Leclerc could not keep pace with Verstappen when the race re-started and he explained: “From lap five onwards it was all downhill. I was really struggling with the tyres.

"It was a bit like the last race, we were very strong warming up the tyres but then after three or four laps, we just destroy them. A struggle this time. It is obviously frustrating today, but it is like this."