Charles Leclerc Cautiously Optimistic Despite Ferrari’s Monza Upgrade: ‘Not Enough to Win Races Until End of Season’

Charles Leclerc cautions that Ferrari's recent improvements are ‘insufficient’ for ‘winning races for the remainder of the season.’

"Is it sufficient to secure victories for the rest of the season? I believe not yet, but we have made significant progress in the right direction."

Charles Leclerc has cautioned that Ferrari must enhance their performance further to regularly compete with McLaren throughout the rest of the 2024 F1 season.

Leclerc secured his second win of the season by successfully executing a one-stop strategy, allowing him to outperform McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Prior to Piastri's second pit stop, Leclerc trailed by five seconds, emphasizing that McLaren possessed the fastest car at Monza.

Ferrari unveiled a major update 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 proceed with care," he stated. "Since Monaco, I believe we've experienced the four most challenging races this season, largely because the Monaco circuit suited our car's characteristics at that time. Monza is another track with unique and distinct features."

"There were many straight sections and only a few turns. We had a rear wing specifically designed for this track, which contributed to our victory today. Additionally, we implemented another upgrade that I believe has narrowed the gap between us and McLaren. However, I don't think it's sufficient for our car to dominate on other circuits for the remainder of the season."

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

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

Likewise, in the constructors' standings, Ferrari is trailing Red Bull by only 39 points.

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

"This weekend, our performance has been exceptional. However, the situation in Baku could be quite different, and Singapore will present its own unique challenges. Therefore, we need to recalibrate our approach. We successfully adjusted from Monaco to Montreal, but it's evident that there was a significant shift between these two weekends."

"We then experienced three or four of the most challenging races of the season as we tried to figure out the issues with our car. Hopefully, we won't face such tough races in the future, and I believe that won't happen."

"However, it's crucial that both the team and external expectations remain grounded and don't surge unrealistically from one race to the next."

“Have we made progress? Absolutely. However, is it sufficient to win races consistently for the rest of the season? Not quite yet, but we are certainly heading the right way.”

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