Ferrari ‘hurting’ because it misses out on F1 title to McLaren

Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc admitted they have been left ‘hurting’ to overlook out on the 2024 Formulation 1 constructors’ title.

Each Ferrari and McLaren have been within the working for the groups’ title this yr, however in the end McLaren claimed the crown by 14 factors courtesy of Lando Norris taking victory within the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The second McLaren of Oscar Piastri was restricted to preventing again to tenth having been hit by Max Verstappen in the beginning, with Sainz ending second and Leclerc recovering brilliantly from nineteenth to additionally make the rostrum.

Regardless of taking second and third place, Ferrari’s 16-year await a constructors’ championship goes on.

“Clearly, it’s a little bit of a bittersweet feeling, in the long run,” stated Sainz, who took second place in his closing race for Ferrari forward of his transfer to Williams.

“P2 I believe was the utmost we might do as we speak, given the tempo of Lando within the McLaren. Yeah. I gave it all the things, particularly the primary stint it seemed like, we might hold on to them.

“Then as quickly as we put the arduous tyres, they simply gave the impression to be that one or two tenths faster per lap, like we have seen all weekend, they usually simply bought a bit out of out of attain.

“However yeah, congratulations, initially, to McLaren. They deserved this championship. They have been rock strong within the final two-thirds of the championship, they usually’ve been unbelievable from our aspect, I believe we could be happy with the hassle and the championship we put collectively.

“It has been a tricky yr, however positively a yr the place we have to be happy with and hopefully be again right here quickly.”

Leclerc’s spectacular drive by way of the sphere started as he prevented the first-lap drama to select up loads of locations, with the velocity of his Ferrari in the end permitting the Monegasque to battle by way of to 3rd place.

Leclerc’s weekend was compromised on Friday when he was hit with a 10-place grid penalty for a brand new battery pack that was outdoors of his allocation for the season.

“I knew I needed to be very aggressive. So I knew that in lap one I needed to take all of the dangers potential so as to achieve as many locations as potential to then be in a great place for the remainder of the race, which was achieved,” he defined.

“However then, sadly, we have been simply beginning too far again to do something higher than what we have finished as we speak. I believe we have finished the utmost.

“It hurts, clearly, as a result of when, the season is so shut till the tip, and it was a tough hit on Friday after we knew we had the penalty, we nonetheless gave all of it, and we simply come wanting our objective, which is a disgrace, however on the finish, we have tried all the things. 

“If we glance [at] our first a part of the yr, we have been nowhere close to being within the battle for the constructors’. Then the second a part of the season was actually good, and the workforce has finished an unbelievable job.

“I believe Carlos and I’ve finished a extremely good job as effectively collectively. So yeah, we ended sturdy, and I am certain that subsequent yr will hopefully begin as sturdy as what now we have ended this yr.”

Images from Abu Dhabi GP Race