Leclerc reveals Ferrari curse that could crush F1 title hopes

Charles Leclerc has revealed how Ferrari's curse in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could crush the Scuderia's hopes of landing the 2024 F1 constructors' title.

Ferrari head into the Yas Marina weekend some 21 points behind McLaren in the standings, knowing that if it wins the race and out-scores the Woking team by those 21 points, it will win the title on countback by dint of having six grand prix wins to McLaren's five.

If Ferrari does not win, it must out-score McLaren by 22 points to deny the latter a first constructors' title since 1998. For either team, it will be a first world title of any kind since 2008 when Ferrari won the constructors' and Lewis Hamilton the drivers' for McLaren. 

However, in the 15 previous runnings of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Ferrari has remarkably never taken a pole position or victory, with every race being won by either Red Bull or Mercedes, except in 2011 and 2012 when McLaren's Hamilton and Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen won, respectively.

Looking ahead to the title showdown, Leclerc insisted that the team would need to be "perfect" to stop McLaren winning a ninth title

"On our side, we need to do everything perfect, that's for sure," Leclerc told media including RacingNews365.

"And by doing everything perfect, I really mean it.

"I think we need to finish first and second this weekend, and we need things to not go exactly the way they want at McLaren because on paper, they will be strong on this track as well.

"It's also true that we've never won here in Abu Dhabi, so there's quite a lot of work, but it's not impossible. 

"I think we've had the right approach in the last few races, and we've taken some points even on weekends where we did not expect to do so.

"On this weekend, we're a bit more neutral, and we think that is going to be a positive weekend for us, I really hope that is the case, and that we can take that opportunity in order to win that championship, but it is a stretch."