Ferrari Gave It Everything In Abu Dhabi Finale, Says Charles Leclerc

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Charles Leclerc expressed his disappointment as Ferrari narrowly missed out on the Constructors' Championship to McLaren. Leclerc made an impressive climb from 19th to third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing behind teammate Carlos Sainz and McLaren's Lando Norris. Norris' win secured McLaren's first title since 1998, with a 14-point lead over Ferrari.

Leclerc reflected on the race, saying he took significant risks from the start to gain positions. "I knew I had to be very aggressive, so on Lap 1, I took all the risks possible to gain as many places as possible to be in a good position for the rest of the race," he said. Despite his efforts, starting from a low grid position limited his chances for a better result.

Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari gave their best throughout the season but fell short of their goal. "It hurts when a season is so close until the end. We gave it our all, and we just came up short of our goal," he added. The team put in maximum effort but couldn't surpass McLaren's performance.

Carlos Sainz finished second in his final race for Ferrari before moving to Williams alongside Alex Albon in 2025. He described his feelings as bittersweet, acknowledging that P2 was their best possible outcome given Norris' pace. "Obviously, a bit of a bittersweet feeling in the end," said Sainz.

Sainz noted that despite giving everything during the first stint, McLaren's speed became unbeatable once they switched to hard tyres. "They just got a bit out of reach," he remarked. He praised Ferrari's efforts throughout a challenging year and expressed pride in their achievements.

Reflecting on his tenure with Ferrari, Sainz shared emotional moments during his final lap with his engineer. He expressed gratitude for being part of Ferrari for four years, achieving personal milestones like winning races and securing pole positions.

The season concluded with mixed emotions for both drivers as they looked back on their performances and experiences with Ferrari. They remain hopeful for future successes and aim to return stronger in upcoming seasons.