Leclerc Cautious Despite Ferrari’s Monza Triumph: ‘Not Enough’ to Challenge McLaren for 2024 Season

Charles Leclerc cautions that Ferrari's recent improvements are ‘insufficient’ to secure ‘victories for the remainder of the season.’

"Is it adequate to secure wins for the rest of the season? I don't believe so yet, but we have made significant progress."

Charles Leclerc has cautioned that Ferrari must improve their performance to consistently compete with McLaren for the rest of the 2024 F1 season.

Leclerc secured his second win of the season by utilizing a one-stop strategy, which enabled him to outperform McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Leclerc was trailing by five seconds before Piastri's second pit stop, underscoring that McLaren possessed the fastest car at Monza.

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

During the FIA press conference following the race at Monza, Leclerc called on 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, given how uniquely suited Monaco was to our car back then. Similarly, Monza is a very distinctive and specialized circuit."

"There were many straight sections and few curves. We used a rear wing specifically designed for this track, which contributed to our victory today. Additionally, we had another upgrade that I believe brought us closer to McLaren's performance, but I don't think it's sufficient to make us the leading car for the rest of the season on different tracks."

"We still have a considerable amount of work ahead of us, but I'm genuinely pleased to have achieved one here in Italy."

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

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

However, Leclerc has tried to temper expectations, referencing previous discussions about a championship bid after his victory in Monaco.

"We performed exceptionally well this weekend, but Baku could present a completely different challenge, and Singapore will likely be different again. Therefore, we need to approach each race with a fresh mindset. We successfully adjusted our strategy from Monaco to Montreal, which, as evidenced, involved significant changes from one race weekend to the next."

"And then we experienced three or four of the toughest races of the season, simply because we were trying to figure out the issues with our car. Hopefully, we won't face another series of challenging races moving forward, and I don't believe that will happen."

"However, it's crucial to keep in mind that both the team and external expectations should remain grounded and not skyrocket after just one race, as that would be unrealistic."

"Have we made progress? Yes. Is it sufficient to start winning races for the rest of the season? I don't believe so, but we have definitely moved in the right direction."

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