F1 | Ferrari, Leclerc: “It's been an emotionally difficult year. In 2023 I aim to win"

Charles Leclerc finished the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in second place, thus ensuring the same position in the drivers' championship, mocking Perez with a strategy executed to perfection by Ferrari, which was equally good at doing better than Mercedes and therefore finishing ahead of the Silver Arrows in the constructors' championship. The Monegasque admits in the mixed zone that he went through a complicated period, especially in the middle of the season, but finishing like this is certainly an important emotional boost towards 2023, the year in which we must aim for victory.

“I'm very happy with today's race – Leclerc admitted. There wasn't the pace to finish second, we managed to do it because we pushed our opponents to make a stop that they didn't want, and this was our strategic plan discussed this morning, which was to put pressure on Perez in key moments of the race and we done at the perfect time, making a different strategy. I'm very happy because it wasn't an easy weekend, with all the pressure from the outside, we were fighting for second place in both championships."

“We were perfect and I'm pleased to finish the season like this. Afterwards I'm happy with the placing in the constructors' championship because the team has pushed so hard in these difficult years, and I hope it's just a transition step to win the world championship next year, but given how the season went we couldn't do more, so I'm satisfied. I can't hide the fact that after the first three/four races we had the pace and the car to win: it was early, but we were the favorite team in that period. So it was an emotionally difficult year, especially in the middle of the season, but considering everything it was a great step forward, now we have to take the next one."