Formula 1: Charles Leclerc takes precious first podium at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
The Monegasque driver made his first podium appearance of the season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, confirming Ferrari's improved form © Scuderia Ferrari HP
Charles Leclerc took a solid third place in the fifth leg of the Formula 1 World Championship on Sunday, on the floodlit Jeddah Corniche street circuit. It was the Monegasque driver’s first podium finish of the season, with his team-mate Lewis Hamilton finishing seventh.
Starting from 4th on the grid, Charles Leclerc drove an intelligent race, holding his position at the start, then implementing an impeccable team strategy. The Monegasque managed to make his first stint on medium tyres last until lap 29, even taking the lead of the race at one point as his rivals headed into the pits.
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A perfectly executed stop by the Scuderia Ferrari mechanics – in just two seconds flat – enabled Leclerc to come out in 5th position on hard tyres, fresher than his direct rivals. It provided him with a vital strategic advantage for the rest of his race.
A decisive overtake on Russell
The key moment in the race for the Monegasque driver came on lap 38, when he made a decisive move on George Russell’s Mercedes. Taking advantage of tyres with nine laps’ less wear, Leclerc needed just one attempt to get the better of the Briton in the first corner, taking and keeping 3rd place until the finish line.
Pressure towards the end
The final laps were not all plain sailing for the Monegasque, who had to fend off Lando Norris. The McLaren driver, with fresher medium tyres, came dangerously close, but Leclerc kept his cool to secure precious podium points – the 44th of his Formula 1 career and the 830th for Scuderia Ferrari.
“We really got the most out of the weekend. We executed the race perfectly, both in terms of strategy and during the pitstop. Our mechanics have worked very hard to get to this level, and I’m really proud of the whole team’s work today. We managed to seize every opportunity.
Looking ahead, we need to focus on qualifying. The first sector was our main weak spot in qualifying here, but it was perhaps our best sector in the race. So we’re going to work hard to find the right balance there, and do everything we can to step up,” said the Monegasque.
Ferrari confirms improvement
The 3rd place confirms the steady progress made by the Italian stable, which scored more points than any other team for the second consecutive race. It’s a positive dynamic that hints at bright prospects for the rest of the championship.
“It was a good race, especially for Charles of course, who took a well-deserved third place. He was a bit conservative at the start of the race, because he was in dirty air, and our strategy was to extend the stint. His handling was excellent, and he was able to pick up the pace from lap 10 onwards, doing a remarkable job, particularly when he had clean air. At times, he was even faster than Piastri and Verstappen, which shows that we are making progress – at least in race pace – even though we need to continue working on our performance in qualifying.
We need to stay focused and keep working tirelessly, and I’m confident that the results will eventually follow. Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin preparations for Miami, continuing to take the season one race at a time. Focusing on ourselves. That’s the approach and mindset we adopted last year, and we intend to keep them,” said team principal Fred Vasseur.
There is now a short break in the championship, which resumes in Miami on the first weekend of May for the sixth leg of the season.