Leclerc on Ferrari's growth: 'We're fighting for the championship'
- Savannah Lenz
Ferrari have not won a championship in almost 20 years. The last world driver's title they won was in 2007, and their last constructors' championship win was in 2008. In 2024, it came down to the wire between Ferrari and McLaren. This year, they are hoping to take it all the way to the finish line and come home with the 2025 trophy.
The 2025 season is a major one for Ferrari. They have Charles Leclerc, who is looking to win his first world drivers' championship title, and Lewis Hamilton, who is looking for his eighth. This is also their last year to profit off of the current regulations, as those are set to change in 2025.
Leclerc on Ferrari's growth
After losing the 2024 constructors' battle, Leclerc was asked about Ferrari's growth and how the team is going to progress. While it was a blow for them not to win in 2024, they are keeping their heads high for 2025.
"I think we've had two seasons where we're basically fighting for the championship. Obviously, one was not for long enough, which was in 2022. And I think with that, we've grown a lot." Leclerc also noted his own growth as something that has happened recently. "I’ve grown a lot as a driver, and I think we've grown a lot also as a team because when it's been such a long time, obviously, the people in the team, most of them have changed. And so, for many people, it was also the first time fighting again with Ferrari at the top"
The Monegasque said, "I think it's an important process. But yeah, I think in the last four years, we've taken step by step, going in the right direction. With Carlos, we've pushed the team in a very good direction. And I think we are in a very good place now. Obviously, we just came short of the ultimate goal this year. But I kind of agree with Lando that momentum is not really a thing."
Leclerc continued, "There's been quite a lot of examples on our side where we finished a year strong, and then at the beginning of the year after, we've been struggling, so we really need to stay on it. We've had quite a few examples, and we managed to pinpoint what went wrong in that winter break, that we didn't do quite right, and that we paid the price at the beginning of the season. And this is probably the experience that is the most helpful in order to start next year in the best possible way."
An example of Ferrari's issues this past season can be examined at the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, where both Leclerc and Sainz did not finish the race. Team principal Frederic Vasseur has mentioned that the 2025 Ferrari car will be a brand-new build. With their line-up, growth, and new cars, Ferrari is planning to go for the gold in 2025.
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