Leclerc wary of Red Bull F1 title threat after early-season theory blown apart

Charles Leclerc has "never ruled out" Red Bull in the F1 title race and is wary of the threat the Milton Keynes-based team pose. 

Ferrari sits third in the constructors' championship and is only 34 points behind second-placed Red Bull, a team the Monégasque fully expected to walk away with this year's title following its continued dominance over the early part of the season.

Many expected Ferrari to significantly out-score Red Bull in the most recent race in Singapore, however, the the latter collected a point more. 

This was down to Leclerc and Carlos Sainz enduring a horrific Q3 at the Marina Bay Circuit along with three-time F1 champion Max Verstappen unexpectedly finishing on the podium. 

When asked if Verstappen's podium was a concern, Leclerc told select media including RacingNews365: "Depends on their next race. 

"They've been a bit up and down in the last few races, but it's also true that the last few races have been a bit more specific in terms of car characteristics. 

"So I've never ruled them out, and I'm sure they will be strong until the end of the season."

Leclerc hoping Ferrari consistency reaps reward

Red Bull had been expected to struggle in Singapore due to its recent history at the venue. It was the only race the team did not win in its all-conquering campaign of last year. 

Following Singapore, McLaren now boasts a 41-point lead over Red Bull, whilst Ferrari is 75 points adrift of the Woking-based team. 

With six races and three sprints remaining, it remains a three-team fight for the title, much to the surprise of Leclerc and Ferrari.

When asked if Ferrari expected to still be in the championship hunt at this stage, Leclerc said: "It depends on when you all have asked me the question, but to be honest, until two, three races ago, we definitely did not expect that. 

"It was a big surprise for us to see McLaren do such a step forward from I don't know which race, but at the beginning of the season, I think we all thought, after the first two, three races, that Red Bull will walk away with the title as easily as last year. 

"Then McLaren came and managed to do a big step forward and we've kind of maximised most of our season, apart from three races after Canada where we struggled a lot as a team and we were trying to find our way again. 

"But other than that, even though we didn't have ever, I think the fastest car, we were always maximising our results, and that helped us to not lose too many points against our competitors. 

"So we just need to keep doing what we do, and hopefully at the end of the year, consistency will pay off.