Ferrari left Suzuka with another podium in hand, but it was one earned the hard way. Charles Leclerc delivered a gritty, intelligent drive to finish third in Japan, overcoming Safety Car misfortune, tyre‑management challenges and relentless pressure from George Russell in the closing laps.
Leclerc launched superbly, slotting into second behind Oscar Piastri and briefly looking like a threat for the lead. But as the race unfolded, the Monegasque found himself in the thick of the action — overtaking, defending and navigating a Ferrari that was quick over a lap but sensitive over a stint.
After the race, Leclerc made clear just how demanding the afternoon had been. “We really had to work hard this time,” he said, reflecting on a race shaped heavily by timing. “We were a bit unlucky with the Safety Car, so I found myself having to chase the cars ahead.”
The early pit stop sequence dropped him into traffic, and the first laps after his stop were particularly costly. “On the first few laps after the pit stop, I lost a few positions, but in the end stopping earlier wasn’t a big disadvantage,” he explained.
With a long stint ahead, Leclerc had to switch into tyre‑preservation mode. “I had to be very careful and manage the tyres well to make it to the end.”
Despite the setbacks, Leclerc’s pace was strong enough to reclaim track position. He passed teammate Lewis Hamilton — who had benefitted from pitting under the Safety Car — and then set about defending the final podium spot from a charging Russell.
“The race was good, I just lacked a bit of pace to catch Oscar (Piastri), but it was still a positive race,” Leclerc said. “And with good energy management, I could defend the podium from George (Russell)’s attacks and bring home good points for the team.”
With two podiums from the opening races, Ferrari has shown flashes of competitiveness, but Leclerc knows the team must keep pushing. The upcoming break offers a valuable window to analyse weaknesses and refine the SF‑26.
“We will use the next weeks to review and work on taking some steps forward before we head back to track in Miami and see how things stand after the break.”
