Leclerc Cautions Ferrari Fans: Upgrades Not Enough to Sustain Race Wins Through 2024 Season

Charles Leclerc cautions that Ferrari's recent improvements are 'insufficient' for 'securing race victories for the remainder of the season'

"Are the upgrades sufficient to win races for the rest of the season? I don't believe so yet, but we've made significant progress in the right direction."

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

Leclerc secured his second win of the season by making the most of a one-stop strategy, outpacing 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 improvement package for the Italian Grand Prix, focused on resolving their issues with bouncing.

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

"We need to be careful," he mentioned. "Following Monaco, I believe we've experienced the four most challenging races of the season, mainly because Monaco suited our car's characteristics back then. Monza, too, is a unique and specialized circuit."

“There were many straight sections and few turns. We installed a rear wing specifically designed for this track, which contributed to our victory today. Additionally, we had another upgrade that, in my opinion, narrowed the gap between us and McLaren. However, I don’t believe this improvement is sufficient to make us the leading car for the rest of the season on different tracks.

"We still have plenty of work ahead, but I'm really pleased to have won one here in Italy."

Even after facing 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.

Leclerc has minimized the hype, referencing previous discussions about a championship bid after his victory in Monaco.

"This weekend, we showed great performance, but Baku could be very different, and Singapore will present another unique challenge. We need to adjust our approach accordingly. We managed to do this from Monaco to Montreal, but as the shift from Monaco to Montreal demonstrated, each weekend can bring significant changes."

"We then experienced three or four of the toughest races this season as we tried to figure out the issues with our car. Hopefully, we won’t face another string of challenging races from this point forward, and I believe that won't happen."

"However, it's crucial that both the team and external expectations remain grounded and don't skyrocket from one race to the next, as this is not realistic."

"Have we made progress? Yes. Is it sufficient to secure victories for the rest of the season? Not quite yet, but we've definitely moved in the right direction."

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