Charles Leclerc finished the Japanese Grand Prix in a fine third place, at the end of a race more complex than it seemed, marked by unfavorable circumstances and a solid comeback.
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The Ferrari driver had nevertheless started his Sunday ideally, setting off from the front row.
But from the very first laps, he lost the advantage to the Mercedes, quickly finding himself under pressure in an extremely competitive field.
A Safety Car that disrupts his race
The major turning point of his race came with the intervention of the safety car. Strategically poorly positioned, Leclerc lost several crucial places, notably to Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton.
“It was a bit difficult, we were a bit unlucky with the Safety Car and from that moment on, I knew I was behind Kimi and Lewis,” he lucidly admitted.
In a race where track position is decisive, especially at Suzuka, this kind of strategic loss has an immediate and often irreversible impact on the final result.
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An aggressive and controlled comeback
Despite this setback, Leclerc did not just endure the race. On the contrary, he adopted an offensive approach, making multiple overtakes to get back into the fight for the podium. He notably managed to get the better of Lando Norris, George Russell, as well as his own teammate, demonstrating a solid pace and good race management.
“I kept attacking and managing the tires, and it wasn’t a disadvantage, the tires were good, but we had lost places, he explained. I think we extracted the maximum from the car today, so there’s nothing to regret.”
This ability to combine aggressiveness and tire management was decisive in returning to the top 3.
A deserved podium, but visible limits
While this podium remains a positive result in a hectic context, Leclerc admits that he was still lacking a little to aim higher. Despite his efforts, he was unable to catch Oscar Piastri, who remained out of reach in second position.
“The race was fun, I didn’t manage to get Oscar but it was nice,” he concluded, highlighting both the pleasure of the battle and Ferrari’s current performance limit against its direct rivals.
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