Leclerc Urges Caution Amid Ferrari Upgrades: ‘Not Enough to Win Races Until End of the Season’

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

"Is it sufficient to secure wins for the rest of the season? Not quite yet, but we have made significant progress."

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

Charles Leclerc secured his second win of the season, taking advantage of a one-stop strategy to outperform McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

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

Ferrari unveiled a major upgrade 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 mentioned. "Post-Monaco, we've experienced the four most challenging races of the season, as Monaco suited our car's characteristics at that time. Monza, too, is a unique and specialized circuit."

"There were many straight sections and few turns. We had a rear wing specifically 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 for our car to dominate the rest of the season on other circuits."

"We still have much to accomplish, but I'm genuinely pleased to have secured one here in Italy."

Although Leclerc has faced challenges since the Monaco Grand Prix, he is only 24 points behind Norris in the drivers' standings.

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

However, Leclerc has tempered expectations, pointing to similar discussions about a title bid after his victory in Monaco.

"This weekend we performed exceptionally well, but Baku might present a completely different challenge, and Singapore will be different once more. Therefore, we need to adjust our approach accordingly. We made significant adjustments moving from Monaco to Montreal, and as demonstrated, the transition from one weekend to the next can bring substantial changes."

"We then experienced three or four of the most challenging races of the season as we tried to figure out the issues with our car. Hopefully, we won't face such tough races in the future, and I believe that won't happen."

"However, it's crucial that both the team and outsiders manage their expectations and avoid letting them skyrocket from one race to the next, as this isn't realistic."

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

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