Finishing in second position in a race in which you started from pole position can make you think that something didn’t go as expected. But at the end of the 50 laps completed on the Las Vegas circuit, both Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have nothing to complain about. At the start Max Verstappen used harsh tactics to take the lead of the race, a maneuver sanctioned by the stewards with 5 seconds to serve at the first pit stop. Just coinciding with the stop (lap 16) Verstappen’s race seemed to be uphill, given that the Red Bull garage had to recall him due to a sudden increase in graining on the front axle. A surprise, given that Max found himself struggling with the tires while Leclerc proceeded at full speed.
Leclerc passed Verstappen’s Red Bull before Max entered the pits, taking command of the race and completing another five laps before pitting himself. Back on the track, Charles took a 4-second lead over Verstappen, who was fourth at the time, and after four laps the gap remained unchanged, despite Leclerc having started the stint without forcing the tires too much. At this point the race seemed to be going decidedly in Ferrari’s direction, then the safety car arrived on lap 26 which changed the scenario.
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, second in Las Vegas
Leclerc is convinced that without the entry of the official car onto the track he would have been able to make the Las Vegas Grand Prix his own, and this is a doubt that is destined to remain. When the race resumed (lap 28) Verstappen found himself in fifth position, also preceded by Gasly, Piastri and Perez, but he set a very fast pace for his race, which allowed him to overtake all his rivals, including Leclerc. Max, thanks to the ‘free’ pit stop offered by the safety car, went from having a set of tires five laps more used than Leclerc, to five laps fresher. At Ferrari they are convinced that this ten-lap window was crucial for the final verdict. “It certainly didn’t help us,” commented Frederic Vasseur with a hint of a smile.
Charles still had the opportunity to enjoy second place, given that seven laps from the end he had to be overtaken by Sergio Perez. Leclerc didn’t give up on his opponent, and when everything seemed ready for Red Bull’s sixth double of the season, a masterpiece overtaking came, a braking at turn 14 that surprised Checo and enhanced the control of Charles’ car.
At the end of the race the glass half full situation definitely prevailed in the Ferrari garage, Leclerc’s second place, combined with Sainz’s comeback in sixth place, allowed the Scuderia to move to -4 behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ classification.
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23
But what gave morale to the men of the Scuderia the most was returning to play a leading role. Ferrari prepared very well for the trip to Las Vegas, but immediately found itself forced to work overtime due to the mishap that Sainz encountered in the FP1 session.
Perhaps with two cars on the front row the race script would have been different, but regardless of the final outcome, a good Ferrari emerged. Beating Verstappen in his ‘2023’ is a truly difficult task, even when it doesn’t seem to be his day. Leclerc came close, and despite missing the target he has little to complain about. Charles needed a weekend like this to forget about Interlagos, Ferrari needed a weekend like this to hope for a last-minute victory over Mercedes in the final stage of Yas Marina.
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