Leclerc: F1 Constructors' title an optimistic goal

Race winner Charles Leclerc said as much, even if he described it as still an 'optimistic' target with five rounds remaining.

McLaren are 40 points clear of champions Red Bull with Ferrari third and a further eight behind, but the Italian team took a hefty 55 point haul from Austin - the tally boosted by a sprint weekend.

That was 27 more than McLaren and 26 more than Red Bull managed, as well as being the team's biggest single weekend score of the year.

Ferrari have outscored Red Bull in five of the last seven races but McLaren only twice in the same period.

"We've got to target winning the constructors´ title. It's an optimistic goal, but that's what we are here for," Leclerc told reporters.

"It's been a really good weekend for the team...hopefully at the end of the year, when we do the math, we will have won the constructors´ title.

"If we do everything perfect until the end of the season, no matter what McLaren does, if we do better than them, I think we can still clinch that title," the Monegasque maintained.

Speaking in Ferrari's post-race report, Leclerc hailed the step forward his team have achieved with the SF-24 as it has been strong in race trim compared to last year's car which was fast in qualifying but shredded its tyres in races.

He said: "We’ve made a really good step in terms of our race trim, and hopefully, we will keep it up in the next few races.

"We will do everything to maximise our results and at the end of the year, we will do the maths and see where we stand," Leclerc concluded.

Teammate Carlos Sainz, who finished second at the Circuit of the Americas, said the next race in Mexico and the Las Vegas round in November should both be good for Ferrari.

"I'm basing myself a bit on last year. This year everything seems a bit different," he added. "I think Qatar is going to be a bit our bogey track...and then Abu Dhabi I'm not sure.

"I just hope this pace shows itself again before the end of the season and gives me another chance of going at it," added the Spaniard, who is leaving for Williams at the end of the season to make way for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Sainz had a scare with his car early in the race, he said in Ferrari's race report: "We had an issue and for some laps I was concerned but we managed to address it and used our pace to undercut Max and finish in P2.

"It’s great to be able to go on the attack with this car" he went on echoing Leclerc's sentiments. "We want to fight until the last race for the Constructors’ Championship.

"We have to continue working like this for the remaining races, starting in Mexico City next week, Sainz concluded.

"It was the perfect Sunday," Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur declared in his team's race report. "We have done a very good job this weekend, scoring a lot of points but we have to stay focused and not think we are champions just because of today’s result.

"Our pace was always under control as was the strategy with both drivers and when you have the slight advantage we had today, it is much easier to do a good job.

"The car has improved a lot in terms of its driveability compared to where we were a few races ago and that has contributed to the result," he pointed out.

While Sainz is optimistic about Ferrari's chances in Mexico, Vasseur is more cautious; he added: "Next week in Mexico will be a completely different story with the altitude making it a one-off race, adding to the challenge, where you have to focus a lot on cooling.

"Just because you are quick in Austin, it doesn’t mean you will be quick in Mexico," he insisted. "This one-two is great motivation for next week. As for the championship, we are taking it one race at a time, but there are still plenty of points available, including those from the Sprints so everything is still possible.

"Now we are completely focussed on Mexico where we hope to continue this positive trend," the Frenchman concluded.

Ferrari have won more races (247) and F1 constructors' titles (16) than any other team, but their last was in 2008 with Brazilian Felipe Massa and Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 F1 world champion.