Abu Dhabi GP: Leclerc fails to make a comeback, says he's "glad it's over"

Abu Dhabi GP: Leclerc fails to make a comeback, says he’s “glad it’s over”

Scuderia Ferrari

Charles Leclerc expressed disappointment and relief after finishing 13^th at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won the race, followed by Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes).

By the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was emotionally and physically exhausted. “I’m disappointed that it should end like this,” said the Monégasque driver after scoring a disappointing 13^th place, “It was a difficult season and I’m very happy it’s over.”

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A difficult race

Leclerc started 12^th on the grid, after receiving a three-place penalty for a collision with Sergio Perez (Racing Point) last week at the Sakhir Grand Prix. The Monégasque driver had a difficult race, complicated by dubious strategic choices on the part of Scuderia Ferrari: when the virtual safety car was deployed, Leclerc continued to race with his worn-out medium tyres instead of doing a pit-stop to switch to hard ones. Most of the other drivers were running on hard tyres.

“It was actually deliberate,” said Leclerc, “We tried something different because we knew the stakes were low anyway. We placed a bet and lost, unsurprisingly.” Finishing in 13^th place, Charles Leclerc did not score any points.

All hopes are on the next season

The 2020 F1 season is sure to leave a sour taste in Leclerc’s mouth. The Monégasque driver finished 8th in driver standings, behind Alex Albon (Red Bull) and Carlos Sainz (McLaren). All eyes and hopes are now on the 2021 season. “We’re expecting significant improvements, I promise you that we’ll be in a better place,” said Leclerc.