Leclerc admits tyre gamble left him ‘worried’ at start of US GP

A gritty Charles Leclerc conquered his sixth podium of the season in Austin on Sunday, but the Monegasque initially feared that Ferrari’s bold soft tyre strategy might have backfired before the lights even went out.

Leclerc the only driver among the top ten on the grid to start on the red-walled compound – a high-risk choice that immediately set him apart from his front-running rivals.

Lining up third at the start, the Scuderia charger’s car was fitted with Pirelli’s C4 softs while those around him played it safe on the medium tyres.

It was a daring call from the Italian outfit, and Leclerc confessed that he had serious doubts when he realized he was on his own with the softer rubber.

"I was a little bit worried when I saw that I was the only car on softs at the beginning," Leclerc explained.

"I knew it was a risky move, but what I had in mind was to use the soft to try and get free air, it was quite optimistic because we had two cars in front, but that's what we tried to do."

The early laps proved that the gamble had its merits. Leclerc made the most of the extra grip to jump past Lando Norris and slot into second behind Max Verstappen. But as the race unfolded, tyre management became the name of the game – and the McLaren soon came roaring back.

A Fight to the Finish

Verstappen stretched his lead while Leclerc and Norris traded blows through the middle stages. Once the Ferrari driver switched to mediums, Norris regained the upper hand, only for Leclerc to claw back the position later – until the final stint saw Norris on fresh softs sweep back by for good.

"We gained a position and that helped us a lot for the rest of the race, so I'm happy overall as it has been a tough second half of the year," Leclerc said.

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Despite losing second place near the end, Leclerc’s drive to third marked Ferrari’s first podium since Belgium – a welcome return to form after a turbulent run.

Speaking about his duels with Norris, Leclerc added: "To be back on the podium here after a difficult FP1 with the gearbox problem, we recovered well, so I am happy.

"I enjoyed [the battles with Norris], unfortunately, I lost out at the end, but I had fun in the car."

Ferrari will take plenty of encouragement from the result. Both Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton showed strong pace on the soft tyres, and the podium finish boosts their momentum in the battle for second in the Constructors’ Championship.

For Leclerc, though, the race was a reminder that in Formula 1, fortune favors the brave – even when the call feels like a mistake waiting to happen.

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