After a disappointing start to the Dutch Grand Prix over the weekend, Monegasque Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc put in a solid performance to move from a third-row start on the Circuit Zandvoort to a place on the podium.
Going into the race, the 26-year-old Monegasque driver admitted that he wasn’t satisfied with his P6 starting position.
“We are quite a bit off the pace of our competitors and we are working night and day as a team to close that gap. I am sure the effort will pay off soon,” he said. “The target for me tomorrow will be to keep our position and bring as many points home as possible.”
Leclerc got to work as soon as the lights went out on the Circuit Zandvoort on Sunday 25th August, quickly overtaking Red bull driver Sergio Pérez to move up to fifth. He pitted on Lap 25 for hard tyres and rejoined in ninth, but pushed hard and was up to third by Lap 33.
The last stages of the race saw him battle to hold off McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. His efforts earned him his seventh podium of the season, with a well-deserved P3.
“It’s not often that I would say I am happy with a P3, but today, I am extremely happy with the job the team has done on such a difficult weekend,” Leclerc shared post-race. “We struggled in all sessions since FP1, and managed to put it all together when it matters most. We found the pace we needed, executed a perfect strategy, undercut our competitors and kept them behind. It feels great to start the second half of the season like this. Next up is Monza, our home race. We will give it our all to make our tifosi proud there.”
Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur echoed the driver’s words, saying, “We were not very optimistic coming to Zandvoort, but today it went very well for both sides of the garage: we had good starts, good strategy, good pit stops, with both drivers managing their tyres very well… There are still nine races to go, some of them will suit us better than others and we must see what we can do with the new package that is coming soon, but today has certainly been a confidence boost for the team. Tonight, we will allow ourselves to enjoy this podium and as from tomorrow we will focus on Monza.”
Leclerc’s teammate, Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who has started in P10, also put in a good performance on the Circuit Zandvoort and claimed fifth place.
Their combined results at the Dutch Grand Prix add 25 points to Ferrari’s tally in the Constructors’ Standings, solidifying the team’s third place in the rankings. Leclerc retains his third place in the Drivers’ Standings, with 192 points, behind McLaren’s Lando Norris in second and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in first.
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Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre