Formula 1 is not just regarding raw speed and driving skills, it is also characterized by deception, tricks and camouflage. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc tells how he led Sergio Pérez onto the slippery slope.
Monegasque Charles Leclerc finished second at the World Cup final in Abu Dhabi, ahead of Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Pérez, and that also meant – World Cup place 2 for the Ferrari driver behind champion Max Verstappen, the Mexican has to deal with third settle for a World Cup place.
The five-time GP winner Charles Leclerc is convinced: With a clever trick he fooled his opponent and thus achieved second place in the world championship.
With the first wave of tire changes over at this Abu Dhabi GP, heads were spinning at the command posts: Should drivers save their tires and try to get through with just one stop? Or would you rather stop once more and attack heartily with fresh reels?
Leclerc explains those laps when both RBR racers were ahead (Verstappen ahead of Pérez) and he himself was third: “We knew from the start that we only wanted to change tires. Then I was told to pit for fresh reels. But we didn’t want that at all. Pérez took that bait and came in to make a second stop. We stayed outside. That was the key to second place.”
Pérez came within a little over a second of the Ferrari driver, but it wasn’t enough for an attack, let alone an overtake.
Leclerc continues: “This deceptive maneuver worked excellently. I’m very proud of how we did it.”
But what regarding Red Bull Racing? Team boss Christian Horner: “We preferred that Pérez can attack with fresh tires. To drive through with just one set, he would have been easy prey at the end of the Grand Prix.”
For Horner, Ferrari’s maneuver was not necessarily decisive, “but the time that Sergio lost when overtaking Hamilton and later when lapping Gasly and Albon. That being said, I think Leclerc has more missed opportunities to worry regarding than Pérez when he looks back on his season.”
Abu Dhabi-Test
1. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, 1:24.245 min (65 laps)
2. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, 1:25,383 (56)
3. Robert Shwartzman (AND), Ferrari, 1:25,400 (116)
4. Pierre Gasly (F), Alpine, 1:25,689 (130)
5. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:25,845 (76)
6. Alex Albon (T), Williams, 1:25,959 (118)
7. Logan Sargeant (USA), Williams, 1:26,063 (82)
8. Nyck de Vries (NL), AlphaTauri, 1:26,111 (151)
9. Lance Stroll (CDN) Aston Martin, 1:26,263 (70)
10. Liam Lawson (NZ), Red Bull Racing, 1:26,281 (111)
11. Jack Doohan (AUS), Alpine, 1:26,297 (111)
12. Fernando Alonso (E) Aston Martin, 1:26.312 (97)
13. Sergio Perez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, 1:26.333 (88)
14. Oscar Piastri (AUS), McLaren, 1:26.340 (123)
15. Felipe Drugovich (BR), Aston Martin, 1:26.595 (106)
16. Valtteri Bottas (FIN), Alfa Romeo, 1:26,709 (129)
17. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, 1:26,750 (67)
18. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, 1:26.890 (115)
19. Nico Hülkenberg (D), Haas, 1:27,000 (110)
20. Yuki Tsunoda (J), AlphaTauri, 1:27, 123 (135)
21. Pietro Fittipaldi (BR), Haas, 1:27,172 (99)
22. Frederik Vesti (DK), Mercedes, 1:27.216 (124)
23. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, 1:27,240 (73)
24. Théo Pourchaire (F), Alfa Romeo, 1:27,591 (106)
Abu Dhabi-GP, Yas Island
01. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:27:45,914 h
02. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, +8,771
03. Sergio Perez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, +10,093
04. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, +24,892
05. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, +35,888
06. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, +56.234
07. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, +57,240
08. Lance Stroll (CDN), Aston Martin, +76,931
09. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), McLaren, +83,268
10. Sebastian Vettel (D), Aston Martin, +83,898
11. Yuki Tsunoda (J), AlphaTauri, +89,371
12. Guanyu Zhou (RC), Alfa Romeo, +1 Runde
13. Alex Albon (T), Williams, +1
14. Pierre Gasly (F), AlphaTauri, +1
15. Valtteri Bottas (FIN), Alfa Romeo, +1
16. Mick Schumacher (D), Haas, +1
17. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, +1
18. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, +3 laps
19. Nicholas Latifi (CDN), Williams, +3
Out
Fernando Alonso (E), Alpine, Wasserleck
World Championship final score (following 22 of 22 races)
driver
01. Verstappen 454 points
02. Leclerc 308
03. Pérez 305
04. Russell 275
05. Sainz 246
06. Hamilton 240
07. Norris 122
08.Ocon 92
09. Alonso 81
10. Bottas 49
11. Ricciardo 37
12. Vettel 37
13. Magnussen 25
14. Gasly 23
15. Stroll 18
16. Schumacher 12
17. Tsunoda 12
18. Zhou 6
19. Albon 4
20. Latif 2
21. De Vries 2
22. Nico Hülkenberg (D) 0
Constructors’ Cup
01. Red Bull Racing 759 Punkte
02. Ferrari 554
03. Mercedes 515
04. Alpine 173
05. McLaren 159
06. Alfa Romeo 55
07. Aston Martin 55
08. Haas 37
09. Alpha Tauri 35
10. Williams 8