Leclerc Tempers Ferrari Expectations Despite Monza Triumph: More Upgrades Needed to Challenge McLaren

Charles Leclerc cautions that Ferrari's recent upgrade is "insufficient" for securing victories for the remainder of the season.

"Will it be adequate to clinch race wins until the season concludes? I doubt it at this point, but we've made significant progress in the right direction."

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

Leclerc secured his second win of the season by using a one-stop strategy to surpass McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Prior to Piastri's second visit to the pit lane, Leclerc trailed by five seconds, underscoring McLaren's dominance with the fastest vehicle at Monza.

Ferrari unveiled a major set of improvements for the Italian Grand Prix, focusing on resolving their issues with car bouncing.

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

"We need to exercise caution," he mentioned. "Following Monaco, I believe we've encountered the four most challenging races of the season, as Monaco's unique characteristics suited our car back then. Similarly, Monza is a very unique and distinct circuit."

“There were many straight sections and few turns. We had a rear wing specifically designed for this track, which contributed to our victory today. We also had an additional 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 remainder of the season on different tracks.

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

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

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

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

"This weekend, we showed great strength, but Baku and Singapore will likely present very different challenges. Therefore, we need to start fresh. We managed to reset from Monaco to Montreal, and as demonstrated, the conditions and outcomes can vary significantly from one weekend to the next."

“We then experienced three or four of the toughest races of the season as we tried to figure out the issues with our car. Hopefully, we won't face another series of challenging races in the future, and I don't believe that will happen.”

"However, it's crucial that both the team and external expectations remain grounded and don't skyrocket after just one race, as that's not realistic."

"Did we make progress? Yes. Is it sufficient to secure victories for the remainder of the season? Not quite yet, but we've made a significant move in the right direction."

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