Leclerc bags vital Sauber points at top of midfield

Charles Leclerc has continued to demonstrate why Ferrari has promoted him to the works team for 2019 by winning the Formula 1 midfield race at the Brazilian Grand Prix to take seventh place and vital championship points for Sauber.

The F1 rookie produced an eye-catching lap in Q2 of qualifying to secure a top ten starting place, bumping out Kevin Magnussen in the process, before avoiding opening lap dramas to surge ahead of his midfield rivals.

In a relatively low-key race for Leclerc, who briefly caught the front-runners during the pit stop switchovers, the 21-year-old was content to secure his second consecutive seventh place and provide Sauber with a points cushion for eighth place in the F1 constructors’ standings.

“I am very happy with the race, finishing in 7th place is a positive result that we can be satisfied with,” Leclerc said.

“It was fun to drive on this track and adding more points to our tally to solidify our eighth position in the Constructors’ Championship is a positive feeling for the whole team. I look forward to seeing what we can do in Abu Dhabi.”

Sauber holds a nine-point advantage over Toro Rosso heading into the 2018 finale in eighth place which would represent the Swiss squad’s best F1 campaign since 2013.