Leclerc Cautions Ferrari’s Upgrades Not Sufficient for Season-Long Victory Run Despite Italian GP Triumph

Charles Leclerc cautions that Ferrari's improvement isn't sufficient for 'race victories for the remainder of the season'

"Will it suffice for us to clinch victories throughout the rest of the season? I'm not convinced it will, but we've certainly made a positive move forward."

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

Leclerc secured his second win of the season, leveraging a single pit stop strategy to outperform the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Prior to Piastri's second pit stop, Leclerc trailed by five seconds, underscoring McLaren's superior speed at Monza.

Ferrari unveiled a major update for the Italian Grand Prix, aimed at addressing their issues with bouncing.

In the FIA press briefing following the Monza race, Leclerc advised Ferrari to proceed with caution.

"He emphasized the need for prudence, stating, "Following Monaco, it feels like we've encountered our toughest four races of the year, largely because Monaco uniquely suited our car then. Similarly, Monza presents its own unique set of challenges due to its distinctive track characteristics.

The circuit featured numerous straight sections but had few turns. Our victory today was aided by a specific rear wing we equipped for this circuit. Additionally, we introduced another enhancement that seemingly narrowed the gap with McLaren. However, I believe it's insufficient for us to dominate in the upcoming races on different circuits.

"I believe there’s still much to accomplish, yet I’m truly delighted to have achieved this in Italy."

Despite facing challenges since the Monaco race, Leclerc is only 24 points behind Norris in the drivers' standings.

In the same vein within the constructors' standings, Ferrari trails Red Bull by a mere 39 points.

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

"Our performance has been impressive this weekend, yet the upcoming races in Baku and then Singapore could present entirely different challenges. Therefore, it's crucial for us to recalibrate our approach. We managed to successfully make this adjustment from Monaco to Montreal, witnessing a significant shift in our performance from one event to the next."

"Subsequently, we endured three to four of the most challenging races this season, as we were attempting to decipher the issues with our car. We are hopeful that moving forward, we won't face such tough races again, and I believe that will indeed be the situation."

"It's crucial to understand that it's not just the team, but also the external expectations should remain grounded and not soar excessively after a single race, as this isn't a realistic perspective."

"Have we made progress? Absolutely. Will it suffice to secure victories in the races for the rest of the season? I'm not convinced we're there yet, but we've certainly moved closer to our goal."

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