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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75

The Abu Dhabi momentum that can propel Leclerc and Ferrari to F1 2023 success

OPINION: Charles Leclerc achieved his target of sealing runner-up in the 2022 world championship with a masterful drive behind Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi. And that race contained key elements that may help him, and Ferrari, go one better in Formula 1 2023

"Where is P2?"

It was about the only thing that Charles Leclerc got wrong last Sunday in Abu Dhabi – missing where to park next to Max Verstappen in the smoky pit straight parc ferme after their celebratory burnouts. Having headed briefly towards the third-place finisher's spot, he squeezed his Ferrari F1-75 around the Red Bull and ended up where he should have been.

The same goes for the final result of Formula 1 2022.

In beating Sergio Perez to second in the season finale with a flawless drive in circumstances that his Ferrari team have historically struggled with, Leclerc also sealed the world championship runner-up spot behind Verstappen. That was his target throughout the season run-in, as was working with Ferrari to start addressing the issues that blighted the middle part of their campaign and ultimately lost them the championship.

Previous article Sainz leads Ferrari 1-2-3 in Abu Dhabi F1 post-season test day
Next article What we learned from Alonso’s first Aston Martin Formula 1 test

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