Mercedes' stunning comeback shocks Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc at Qatar Grand Prix
- Rob Fleming
- 9 October 2023
Charles Leclerc found himself "surprised" by Mercedes' pace during the Qatar Grand Prix, as George Russell made a great recovery following a first-lap crash to finish ahead of the Ferrari driver.
The Mercedes driver fought valiantly from the back of the field, ultimately securing a fourth-place finish, while Leclerc settled for fifth, ahead of Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso.
Leclerc revealed that Ferrari had taken extra precautions in the wake of Carlos Sainz's unfortunate failure to start the race due to a fuel leak. Still, it was Mercedes' blistering performance that truly caught him off guard.
This surprising outcome has implications for the Constructors' Championship, as Mercedes stretched their lead over Ferrari to 28 points with five rounds and two Sprints remaining in the season.
"We didn't start the day in the best way possible with Carlos' issue, which was a shame," Leclerc lamented during his media interaction.
"In this way, it made us take a bit more margin on my side driving-wise, just to be on the safe side.
"But I don't think there was more we could have extracted for the race.
"We were not surprised with McLaren's pace, even though they were super quick; we expected on Friday that they would be very strong.
"On the other hand, we're quite surprised with Mercedes' pace.
"For them to finish in front of us after crashing on Lap 1 is surprising."
As the Formula 1 season hurtles toward its conclusion, the next race is set to take place on October 22 in Austin, Texas.
The race will unfold on the challenging 5.5-kilometre Circuit of the Americas track, a venue that returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 2012 after a four-year hiatus. Notably, this year's edition will be extra special, with the sport's popularity soaring in America.
The United States Grand Prix won't be the only race held in the country in 2023. The Miami Grand Prix will make its return, and a new event in Las Vegas is slated for later in the season.
As the championship battle intensifies and the surprises keep coming, Formula 1 fans can look forward to a thrilling conclusion to an already exhilarating season.
