‘Very, very tough’: Leclerc downplays Ferrari’s podium chances

Charles Leclerc has issued a cautious reality check for Ferrari fans. Despite back-to-back podiums in Austin and Mexico City, the Monegasque driver is wary of the Italian outfit’s ability to maintain second place in F1’s Constructors’ Championship as the season nears its conclusion.

After finishing second to Lando Norris in Mexico City, Ferrari briefly reclaimed second in the standings – one point ahead of Mercedes and ten ahead of Red Bull.

But Leclerc isn’t convinced this position is secure. Reflecting on his team’s recent results, the Scuderia charger tempered any potential optimism with caution.

“It's going to be very, very tough,” he said, quoted by RACER. “If I look back at the last two weekends, yes. If I look before these two weekends, not really.

Leclerc highlighted that consistent execution, rather than sheer car performance, has been key to their podium streak — and will remain central if they hope to fend off Mercedes and Red Bull.

“We just need to focus race by race and do the perfect execution just like we've done in the last two races,” he added.

“That pays off, obviously, as always – it's very difficult to be performing at this level all the time but that is the standard that we need to target, and hopefully that will be enough to give us second in the constructors.”

Podium Surprises in Austin and Mexico

Leclerc admitted even he was somewhat taken aback by Ferrari’s consecutive podiums.

“I think we did not expect to be replicating what we've done in Austin,” he explained. “We knew that in Austin we had done the perfect execution, but we also knew that on paper we maybe didn't have the pace that McLaren or Red Bull had.

“To be on the podium at that race was a surprise, but we managed to do that again and one step higher on the podium as well.”

While the car may not always match rivals in raw pace, Leclerc’s focus on flawless race execution has kept Ferrari competitive even in challenging conditions.

“As we know already, in terms of pure performance from the car, it's been quite a long time that we've been switching our minds to 2026, and so that [will hurt] us a little bit more into this last part of the season,” he said.

“But by doing perfect executed weekends, we managed to get two podiums in a row, which is a really nice feeling.”

• Read also: Leclerc admits late VSC ‘saved’ Mexico podium from Verstappen

Leclerc’s realistic view underscores the fine margins at the top of the championship and the challenges Ferrari faces in defending its second-place status.

With the final four races of the season looming, only perfect execution and perhaps a little luck will be the only way for the Scuderia to hold off Mercedes – and perhaps even Red Bull.

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