Leclerc: The disappointment is there...

Leclerc fought his way up the grid to finish the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in third place after spending the final F1 weekend of 2024 on the back foot for being hit by a ten-place grid penalty for taking a new battery pack on Friday.

Leclerc started the race from 19th on the grid on a weekend where McLaren had the upper hand pace-wise, not to mention the advantage in the constructors' championship, which meant Ferrari needed to outscore them by 21 points.

Despite the odds being against his team, Leclerc fought tooth and nail all race long but his third place, combined with Carlos Sainz's second place was not enough to secure Ferrari's first constructors' title since 2008.

Speaking after the race in Ferrari's race report, Leclerc said: "Even though the race itself was incredible, we fell short of our main objective of winning the constructors’ title, so the disappointment is there today.

"The first lap was really strong, I managed to make up 11 positions going from P19 to P8. The whole first stint was good, but it was a bit tricky to overtake because there was a train of DRS ahead.

"We managed to make it through and preserved our tyres well, so I am very happy with the way we manage our race. There was nothing we could have done better," he admitted.

Leclerc spared some words for Sainz, with whom he shared the Ferrari garage for the past four years. He added: "Speaking about Carlos, it has been incredible to share team with him for four seasons.

"We pushed each other to new heights and moved the team positively, always keeping respect for each other. That we are here today, missing our on the world title by 14 points, is also thanks to his contribution.

"I wish him all the best and look forward to seeing what he will do in the future," the Monegasque said.

Leclerc already had his sights set on 2025 and went on to say: "Looking at next year, I hope that we can start the season off with a really strong car.

"This is probably where we missed our this year, coming back strong in the second half of the season which is where we made a big impact thanks to the incredible work of everyone back in our factory who created the upgrades which let us perform the way we have.

"This gives me confidence for the future and I really look forward to being back on track in 2025. A big thank you to the whole team that has made this season possible," Leclerc concluded.