The final race in Abu Dhabi is thrilling for all the right reasons. Not only is the coveted $131 million for P2 in constructors at stake but there’s a 4-way battle for P4 in the driver’s championship. Ferrari and Mercedes are almost neck-to-neck going into the Yas Marina Circuit. On the other hand, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz are tied for 4th at 200 points, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are not too far behind either with 195 and 188 points, respectively. However, if FP2 was any indication, Mercedes looks like they’re a bit ahead in terms of pace, while Sainz bottomed out and got himself into an enormous crash.

That being said, his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc looks poised to have a great weekend ahead. He managed to set a time faster than the rest of the field other than Max Verstappen. It looks like a thrilling weekend ahead, but the Monegasque has only one goal in mind – winning P2 in the Constructors’ Championship for his team.

Charles Leclerc’s 2-word message

The huge FP2 crash seemed to have a tremendous impact on the Maranello side. Naturally, Charles was in an extremely good mood following his amazing FP2 performance. However, when asked about what fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship would mean to him, he just had two words for the journalists. “Absolutely nothing.” At this moment, he’s not too focused on his personal achievement but is rather going for the team’s pride.

Charles Leclerc managed to finish P2 in the championship last year, and for him, P4 might only bragging rights at this point. Considering that he has to go up against his own teammate Carlos Sainz for that glory, at this point, it might not be worth it for him. The drivers’ championship does not gain the Maranello side any extra money. However, if they manage to finish P2, they stand to gain a whopping $131 million.

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Also read: As $131M Battle Intensifies, Mika Hakkinen Lands in Team Leclerc to Deliver a Crushing Blow to Lewis Hamilton & Co.

Of course, if Charles managed to close the 12-point gap while finishing 4 points ahead of Mercedes, he would be happy for sure. Most driver’s contracts come with bonuses for finishing higher up in the driver’s championship, but the rest of the details are up to speculation.

What needs to go right for Charles Leclerc in Abu Dhabi

P4 in the drivers’ standings and P2 in constructors’ together might be a very difficult dream for Charles to acquire at this point. He needs to outscore Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso by 12 points, and Lando Norris by 5 points. If he goes for the win, here’s where the other drivers need to finish, in order to gain both the championships. Carlos Sainz needs to finish P4 (without the fastest lap) or lower, Alonso P4 (without the fastest lap) or lower, and Lando Norris P2 or lower.

Of course, if Leclerc finishes the weekend at 25, and Sainz at 12, the Mercedes pair cannot finish higher than P2 and lower. This, as you can imagine, is not going to be easy. Of course, if Leclerc does not win, things get even tougher for him, as the points differential at lower placements is much lower. Leclerc is hopeful of finishing ahead of Mercedes in the constructors, despite the track historically favoring the Maranello side. 

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However, going for the constructors’ glory alone is much more feasible. All they have to do is outscore the Merc duo by two points. Easy, right? We’ll know by Sunday.