General
Verstappen too fast for Leclerc: "The gap is really big now".
- GPblog.com
Charles Leclerc finished third at the Dutch Grand Prix. In the early stages, the Monegasque was able to keep up with rival Max Verstappen, but it soon became clear that the Ferrari was not fast enough for victory.
Leclerc sees Verstappen drop further in the championship after the race at Zandvoort. The Ferrari driver did get back on the podium for the first time since Austria. "To be honest, a better result was difficult. We were a bit unlucky with the VSC, I don't know if that would have changed anything. Max was too fast today, and then there were the Mercedes who were flying on the hard tyres. We were struggling on those hard tyres," Leclerc said after the race.
Yuki Tsunoda's stop next to the track brought a virtual safety car, allowing Verstappen to make a 'free' pit stop. Leclerc was not as lucky, as the Monegasque had come in for a set of hard tyres before the VSC. Mercedes also looked very fast, but Leclerc managed to overtake Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of the race.
Leclerc unsure about title fight
"Lewis was struggling a bit, he was driving on a used set and I had a bit more grip. It wasn't easy, but in the end we managed it. As I said in Spa, the gap is really big now. We are looking at it race by race and trying to maximise our potential. Let's see what is possible," said the Ferrari driver.