Charles Leclerc Cautions Ferrari Fans Despite Monza Victory: ‘Still Work to Do to Consistently Challenge McLaren

Charles Leclerc cautions that Ferrari's recent improvements might not be sufficient to secure victories for the remainder of the season. "Is it enough to win races from now until the season's end? I don't believe so yet, but we've definitely made significant progress," he remarked.

Charles Leclerc has cautioned that Ferrari must enhance their performance to consistently compete with McLaren throughout the rest of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Leclerc secured his second win of the season by utilizing a one-stop strategy, outpacing McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Before Piastri went in for his second pit stop, Leclerc trailed by five seconds, underscoring that McLaren had the fastest car at Monza.

Ferrari unveiled a major upgrade package for the Italian Grand Prix, aimed at resolving their issues with car bouncing.

During the FIA press conference following the Monza race, Leclerc advised Ferrari to exercise caution.

"We need to be careful," he mentioned. "Following Monaco, I believe we experienced the four toughest races of the season, as Monaco's track was uniquely suited to our car back then. Monza is another track with its own distinct characteristics."

"There were many straight sections and few turns. We installed a rear wing specifically for this circuit, which contributed to our victory today. Additionally, we introduced another upgrade that I believe has brought us closer to McLaren. However, I don't think it's sufficient to make us the leading car for the rest of the season at other tracks."

"We still have plenty of tasks ahead, but I'm thrilled to have achieved this in Italy."

Even though Leclerc has faced challenges since Monaco, he is only 24 points behind Norris in the drivers' standings.

In the constructors' standings, Ferrari trails Red Bull by only 39 points.

However, Leclerc has minimized expectations by referencing similar discussions about a championship bid after his victory in Monaco.

"We performed exceptionally well this weekend, but Baku could present a completely different scenario, and Singapore will also have its own unique challenges. Therefore, we need to start fresh each time. We successfully adjusted our approach from Monaco to Montreal, but as evidenced by the significant differences between those two weekends, the changes required can be substantial."

"We experienced some of the toughest races of the season as we tried to figure out the issues with our car. Hopefully, we won't face several more challenging races moving forward, and I don't believe we will."

"However, it's crucial to remember that both the team and external observers should manage their expectations, ensuring they don't escalate unrealistically from one race to the next."

"Have we made progress? Yes. Is it sufficient to start winning races consistently for the rest of the season? Not quite yet, but we have definitely moved in the right direction."

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