Leclerc hoping to challege at Catalunya with 'drivable and faster' Ferrari
F1 News
The upgraded Ferrari has the potential to give the Prancing Horse its first Constructors' World Championship since 2008. The updates that were brought to Imola made vast improvements to the Italian team, and then at the Monaco Grand Prix, it was dominated by hometown hero Charles Leclerc, highlighting the challenge Ferrari are bringing to the grid.
Leclerc believes this year could be 'an opportunity'
As a result, Leclerc is optimistic about the Scuderia's chances as a result of their new upgrades: "I think, as a driver, from one season to the other, you always improve. However, when you look at the steps we've done, we keep pushing to optimise every single detail. Definitely, the biggest difference from last year to this year is the car being a lot more drivable and faster. As a driver, it's just a continuous improvement."
Before the 2024 season got underway, many believed that it would be a year dominated by Red Bull in the constructors' championship, and Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship. Verstappen may be looking tough to beat, but the constructors' title is wide open, and despite a double DNF at the Canadian Grand Prix, Ferrari are right in that battle.
The Monegasque knows that his Ferrari has improved from last year, and he believes that more race wins are on the cards for the 2024 season, which could start next week as he and his team prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
"I think over the years what we have been missing to win, was a car that was good enough to win," continued Leclerc. "Last year we were struggling in qualifying, we were actually very fast in the race, but we were starting too far away. This year, I believe that it could be an opportunity. As I said earlier, I don't think it highlights Red Bull's strength, a track like Montreal. We will be very closely matched with McLaren and Red Bull, and we've got to maximise everything."