P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Bemused Leclerc thought he had a podium after Verstappen confusion
Charles Leclerc mistakenly thought that Max Verstappen had retired during the Japanese Grand Prix, leading him to believe that he would earn a podium finish. However, Verstappen was still in the race. Leclerc overtook Sergio Perez, who was serving a time penalty, and briefly believed he was in fourth place until he checked the pit board and realized he was actually in P4. Ferrari had adopted a different strategy but fell victim to the undercut in the final stint, preventing Leclerc and Carlos Sainz from reaching the top three. Leclerc acknowledged that McLaren had better tyre management and outperformed Ferrari in sector one, which has been a weak spot for Ferrari throughout the season. Ferrari will focus on improving in that area for the remainder of the season.
Source: RacingNews 365
