Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc says he is “not obsessed” with finishing second in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship, despite being just nine points off the position with five races to go.
While Kimi Antonelli is expected to wrap up his championship campaign this weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix, the fight for second place is alive and well between a number of drivers. Leclerc is well and truly in the mix. Russell currently leads the best of the rest on 242 points, just one point ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while Max Verstappen is fourth on 236 points. Leclerc is a close fifth on 233.
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The Monegasque finished second in both Singapore and Austin, so enters the Mexico City race with momentum. Therefore he’s not just looking for a second-place finish, he’s looking for a win before the end of the season.
“I think as everybody knows, P2 is better than P3 and P3 better than P4, and so by that we’ll just try and maximise whatever we can,” Leclerc said
Instead, the Ferrari driver said his focus is on winning races before the end of the year, with second place following naturally if he does.
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“[What matters for me the most] is to maximise every race, race after race, and targeting to get some wins before the end of the season. If we manage to do so, then the P2 will be the natural end to the championship, but if not, then we’ll struggle finishing P2, but it’s not that I’m obsessed finishing P2 in the drivers’ championship.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Leclerc has only won a single grand prix this year, with Silverstone scoring him the full 25 points. While his team is seeing an upturn in results, it may be too little too late.
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“I feel like we are in a good momentum at the moment,” he said. “Whether winning will be on the table, this we’ll have to see, because we are definitely against very strong opponents and it’s not every weekend that we’ve got the pace to win a race.”
Leclerc’s view isn’t dissimilar to that of Russell, the man he is chasing, who said earlier on Thursday that second place holds little appeal for him either.
“For every driver on the grid, there’s only one position that matters and it’s P1,” the Briton said. “And to be best of the rest is not really something you dream of as a kid. As long as it’s not P1 in this sport, it’s kind of that or nothing, really.”
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Photos from Mexican GP – Thursday
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Ryo Hirakawa, Haas F1
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
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Allan McNish, Racing Director of Audi F1 Team with Alex Chan, Head of Race Engineering at Audi F1 Team
Allan McNish, Racing Director of Audi F1 Team with Alex Chan, Head of Race Engineering at Audi F1 Team
Colin McMaster / LAT Images via Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
A detailed view of a skirt
A detailed view of a skirt
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
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Gabriele Mini, Alpine F1
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Alicia Torriani
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac F1 Team and Cassidy Towriss
Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac F1 Team and Cassidy Towriss
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
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George Russell, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team
Colin McMaster / LAT Images via Getty Images
Nikola Tsolov, Racing Bulls
Nikola Tsolov, Racing Bulls
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
A woman in traditional dress
A woman in traditional dress
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Colin McMaster / LAT Images via Getty Images
Frederik Vesti, Mercedes
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Colin McMaster / LAT Images via Getty Images
Like Crawford, Aston Martin F1 Team
Like Crawford, Aston Martin F1 Team
James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images
A woman in traditional dress
A woman in traditional dress
Michael Potts / LAT images via Getty Images
Ryo Hirakawa, Haas F1
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Ryo Hirakawa, Haas F1
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Frederik Vesti, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Ryo Hirakawa, Haas F1
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Frederik Vesti, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Carlos Sainz, Williams
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George Russell, Mercedes
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Like Crawford, Aston Martin F1
Like Crawford, Aston Martin F1
James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images
Esteban Gutierrez, Mercedes
Esteban Gutierrez, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
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Gabriele Mini, Alpine F1
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Gabriele Mini, Alpine F1
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Gabriele Mini, Alpine F1
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
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Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team; Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team; Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Colin McMaster / LAT Images via Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images
An artist works on a mural
An artist works on a mural
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
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