Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: A frustrating end to the season for Charles Leclerc
Scuderia Ferrari
After an epic Grand Prix that saw Max Verstappen (Red Bull) win his first ever world championship title, Charles Leclerc seemed disappointed by his last race of the season. The Monaco driver had hoped for better.
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It was a complicated final race for Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) on Sunday in Abu Dhabi. The Monegasque pilot started from seventh on the grid and ended up finishing tenth, while his team-mate Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) took third place on the podium, behind the unassailable duo of Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes).
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“It didn’t go my way, definitely not”, he fumed afterwards. “We tried something different after the first safety car, but we lost too many positions.” With his 10th place finish, Charles Leclerc also suffered a big loss in the drivers’ championship.
Championship ranking disappointment
Sitting in fifth before the race, the Scuderia Ferrari Pilot saw Lando Norris (6th) and Carlos Sainz (5th) overtake him in the final standings. Leclerc finishes the season in 7th place (159 points), 1 point behind the British driver and 4.5 points behind his team mate. “Congratulations to Carlos for the outstanding job today and for the 5th place in the drivers’ championship. Hopefully next year we can come back with a better car, so that we can fight for the title”.
>> SEE ALSO: Formula 1: Is Charles Leclerc having bad luck this season?
The 2021 season ended with Max Verstappen taking his first ever world championship title in an eventful race, which the Dutchman won by overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the last lap. The 2022 season promises to be an exciting one, with the revenge match between the two drivers, and Scuderia Ferrari looking forward to playing a leading rôle again with Carlos Sainz and of course Charles Leclerc.