Ferrari's Leclerc reflects on a painful near-miss in the constructors' battle

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc could not escape the sting of narrowly missing out on the coveted constructors' championship, despite a valiant effort that saw him climb from the back of the grid to clinch third place.

The Monegasque driver, paired with team counterpart Carlos Sainz, was unable to overturn the deficit to McLaren, who emerged victorious in the constructors' standings thanks to Lando Norris’ resounding race win. The storied Italian team concluded the season a heartbreaking 14 points adrift of their determined rivals.

"No, not really," Leclerc said when asked if his impressive recovery was a source of solace. "I'm of course really happy about the race. But the disappointment is a lot bigger." He continued to reflect on the cumulative nature of their championship shortfall. "You don't win or lose a championship in the last race. And McLaren has just done a better job than us."

The sense of what could have been lingered heavily in the paddock. "It obviously hurts when you get to the last race. It was a very difficult weekend," Leclerc shared, underscoring how penultimate hurdles, like his penalty on Friday, intensified the challenge. Despite a surge of hope following a strong start, the ultimate prize eluded them, prolonging Ferrari’s title drought since their last triumph in the 2008 constructors' championship.

However, Leclerc's reflections weren't mired in gloom. Illuminating a silver lining, he highlighted the team's growth over the season, "I'm very happy because […] the second part of the season, we've done an incredible job, mostly for improving the car in terms of pace."

The resilience and progress displayed offer a bastion of optimism for the Scuderia. "We were a lot closer to the guys in front, and actually on some races we were probably the fastest car," Leclerc added, solidifying a renewed sense of determination that Ferrari can indeed rekindle its historic championship-winning form.

The personal pride was evident as he concluded, "I think the highlight of this season has definitely been the execution. To be fighting for the constructors' at the end of the year until the very last race, if you look at the performance we've had in the first part of the year... that's where I think we've done a particularly good job. So on that, I'm very proud."

A season marred by 'what-ifs' for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc culminates with a dual sense of accomplishment and anticipation, as the team eyes future glory, forged through the crucible of this year's fierce and unyielding competition.

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