Charles Leclerc details the ‘huge risks’ he took for Ferrari before the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix

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Charles Leclerc had to fight hard to earn the honour of finishing in fourth place for Ferrari at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Starting ninth, after a gamble on setup during qualifying left him a bit compromised, he made some progress during Sunday’s race, but not enough to be happy. Ferrari are usually stronger than they were.

A double McLaren disqualification helped to promote Leclerc after a lengthy stewards enquiry, as the Monegasque driver ended up falling two tenths short of a podium.

Following the Las Vegas Grand Prix, there are just two races left before the season ends, and the drivers can rest after a tough 24-race schedule. Ferrari have had a tough year, and need to come back fresh in January.

Leclerc has received an offer from Aston Martin for 2027, which could be an interesting avenue for him to explore post-Scuderia, if he loses all faith that he can win there.

After his frustrating qualifying, Leclerc called Ferrari ’embarrassing’ after they struggled to find any grip on a cold track. The SF-25 did not respond well.

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc says Lewis Hamilton has made the ‘same comments’ as Carlos Sainz about Ferrari

Charles Leclerc took some ‘huge risks’ to make progress at the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Leclerc topped FP1 in Las Vegas and looked like he would be a threat for the podium, but couldn’t quite grow into the weekend as he would’ve hoped.

Dating as far back as Belgium, the 27-year-old has finished in the top six in every race that he has seen the chequered flag in apart from one (Azerbaijan).

Despite the complaints that his car hasn’t been capable of competing for victories this season, it does seem to be in a better position than it was in the summer.

Heading into the 2026 F1 regulations, he’ll be hoping that the team can begin from a better starting point on day one. Speaking after the race in Vegas, he detailed the ‘huge risks’ he took, which he shouldn’t have to do.

“It didn’t go so well, because when you start ninth and finish sixth, you can’t say it went well and it’s really frustrating,” he told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com.

“On the other hand, my race was beautiful and crazy. I took huge risks to overtake, because we were really slow on the straights.”

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc reveals what Lewis Hamilton’s ‘relationship’ with Ferrari is really like

What is Charles Leclerc’s average finish during the 2025 F1 season?

Fred Vasseur might have made a Leclerc decision, which could affect how he approaches races next season.

This year, he has scored an average of 10.27 points per race, which is fifth place and a little bit more at every event.

It’s not a terrible return, and is reflected in the drivers’ championship, but after seven seasons with Ferrari, he would have expected more success by now.

Instead, he has been left wondering if he will ever receive a title-winning machine from his team. Does he have to force a move away to make a success of himself?