Image by Leslin_Liu from Pixabay
Charles Leclerc turned a difficult afternoon at Sepang into an impressive recovery, fighting his way from the back of the field to finish fourth after a turbulent race in Malaysia.
The Monégasque had started fourth, but Ferrari’s decision to put both cars on Soft slick tyres as the rain eased quickly proved costly. With the circuit still too wet, drivers on Intermediates had the advantage and Leclerc immediately began losing ground.
His problems multiplied after first-lap contact with Nico Hülkenberg damaged his front wing and caused a puncture. An early pit stop for repairs and Intermediate tyres dropped the Ferrari driver to last place.
From there, the race changed considerably.
A Safety Car closed up the field, while improving track conditions gave Leclerc the chance to work his way back through the order. By the latter stages, both Ferraris were once again fighting near the front.
Another Safety Car, triggered when Alex Albon stopped on track, provided Ferrari with the opportunity to fit fresh Soft tyres. George Russell’s retirement then brought Leclerc and team-mate Lewis Hamilton even closer to the podium positions.
After the restart, Hamilton passed Isack Hadjar for third, with Leclerc following through to claim fourth. He eventually crossed the line 7.258 seconds behind race winner Max Verstappen.
“It was an eventful race,” Leclerc said afterwards, adding that fourth place was a good result considering how much had gone wrong during the opening stages.
Hamilton completed the podium behind Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli, giving Ferrari 27 points from the weekend and strengthening the team’s second place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Leclerc now turns his attention to Singapore, with the next Grand Prix taking place from 9–11 October at Marina Bay.
The weekend will also feature Singapore’s first Formula 1 Sprint, giving the Monégasque another opportunity to score valuable points just days after his remarkable recovery in Malaysia.