Leclerc Issues Reality Check: Ferrari’s Monza Upgrade ‘Not Enough’ to Sustain Race Wins Through 2024 Season

Charles Leclerc cautions that Ferrari's latest upgrade is ‘insufficient’ for ‘race victories for the remainder of the season’

"Is it enough to secure wins for the rest of the season? I don't believe so yet, but we've made a significant move in the right direction."

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

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

Prior to Piastri's second pit stop, Leclerc was trailing by five seconds, demonstrating that McLaren had the fastest car at Monza.

Ferrari unveiled a major enhancement package for the Italian Grand Prix, aimed at addressing 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 remarked. “Following the Monaco race, I believe we experienced the four most challenging races of the season, given how well-suited Monaco was to our car at that moment. Monza also presents a unique and distinct circuit.”

"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 has certainly brought us closer to McLaren, but I believe it's still not sufficient for us to be the leading car for the remaining races of the season on different tracks."

"I believe there's still much to be done, but I'm very pleased to have achieved one here in Italy."

Even after a challenging series of races following Monaco, Leclerc is only 24 points behind Norris in the drivers’ standings.

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

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

"We performed exceptionally well this weekend, but Baku might present a completely different challenge, and Singapore will likely be distinct as well. Therefore, we need to start fresh. We managed to reset our approach from Monaco to Montreal, but as evidenced by the significant shift from one weekend to the next, it was a substantial adjustment."

"We then endured three or four of the season's toughest races as we worked to figure out the issues with our car. I hope we won't face another series of challenging races moving forward, and I don't believe we will."

"However, it’s crucial to remember that both the team and external expectations remain grounded after a single race, as it’s unrealistic to expect drastic changes immediately."

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

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