Leclerc Engagedโ & Eyes Brazilian GP Podium as Verstappen Fights for Title Hope
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Sรฃo Paulo, Brazil – Charlesโข Leclerc arrives at the Brazilian grand Prix with a spring โคin his step, fueled by โฃboth personal joy and a renewed โฃfocus on securing fourth place in theโฃ drivers’ championship.โข The Ferrari driver announced his engagement to long-time โคpartner Alexandra Saint โคMleux on Thursday, adding a heartwarming dimension to the high-stakes world of Formula 1.
“I’m very, very happy, obviously.โค It is a special week, full of emotions,” a beaming Leclerc told reporters. “It’s obviously a very special moment for anyoneโ to โฃdo that โstep. โขAnd, yeah, Alex and I are incredibly happy.”
While the season hasn’t unfolded as hoped โ- Leclerc entered the year โฃas a title contender – a strong finishโค is still โขwithin reach. Currently fifth in the standings, 54โค points behind Mercedes’ George Russell, Leclerc is riding a wave of momentum after consecutive podium finishes in Austin โฃ(2nd) and Mexico City (3rd).
“The momentum โis with us,” Leclerc acknowledged.โข “We’veโ had good last few races, whichโ is a good thing, but we cannot really rely on the past for the future.It’s all about starting from zero again.”
Ferrari alsoโข has โคa crucial battle on its โhands, holding a narrow one-point lead over Mercedes in the constructors’ championship, with McLaren having already clinched the top spot. Leclerc emphasized a focused approach: “This weekend we are focusing โคstep by step onโฃ what we can control and,try and make โขour processes the best,the most perfect possible.” He’s hoping toโ improve on โฃprevious Interlagos results – a bestโค finish of fourth in 2022 – and โfinally return to the podiumโข in Brazil.
Verstappen Refuses to Concede Title Fight
Simultaneouslyโฃ occurring,โข reigning champion Max verstappen isn’tโฃ ready to wave the white flag despite a 36-pointโฃ deficit to McLaren’s โLando Norris. Norris holds a โฃslim one-point advantage over teammateโ oscar Piastri.
“We just try to do everything we can until the end,” Verstappen stated.”It’s 36 points, still โคa decent gap.”
Theโ Red Bull driver has demonstrated remarkableโ resilience, winning threeโ ofโ the last five races to claw his way back into โcontention. โค”At โone โpoint when you are over 100โ points behind, and weโฃ are still talking โฃabout being in this fight,โฃ that is very notable,” he added.
Verstappen โboasts a strongโฃ track record at โInterlagos, having secured victories in 2019, 2023, and most recently inโฃ 2024, showcasing his ability to overcome challenges – including a stunningโ recovery from 17th on the grid last year.
Piastri Dismisses Team Favoritism Claims
Amidst a recent dipโฃ in performance,Oscar Piastri has dismissed any suggestions of preferential treatment towards teammate Lando norris within McLaren. While Norris has surged to the โคchampionship lead with recent wins, Piastriโ finished fifth in the last two races.โฃ
“No, it’s not the case,” Piastri insisted. “I think the last couple of weekends have been a little bit trickier, but we’ve got answers. There are not too many mysteries.”
The Brazilian Grand Prix promises aโ thrilling weekend of racing,โ with drivers battling for championship positions and personal milestones. Qualifying begins [Date/Time] and the race is scheduled for [Date/Time].
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