Charles Leclerc made it clear that he is not currently fixated on a championship battle against Max Verstappen, despite there still being 16 races ahead in 2024. Leclerc, who has been a dominant force in Formula 1 since 2022, acknowledges that Verstappen has been in a league of his own compared to the rest of the grid. However, Ferrari and McLaren have managed to defeat the three-time world champion in some races this season. Nevertheless, Leclerc remains focused on the present and is not thinking about the 2024 title for now.
Leclerc was surprised to find out that the gap between him and Verstappen was only 31 points after his victory in Monaco. He claims he had been informed earlier that the gap was only 23 points. However, Leclerc is satisfied as he is gradually closing in on the Dutchman in the standings. However, he emphasizes that his current priority is not the championship. Leclerc believes it is still early in the season, with 16 more races to go, and hopes to challenge Verstappen this year.
At the beginning of the season, Ferrari seemed to be behind Red Bull due to the RB20. However, the Maranello team has made a continuous series of upgrades to reduce the gap to the current world champions. The upgrades seem to have worked, as Leclerc had a dominant weekend in his home race in Monaco. However, Leclerc believes it will take a few more races for the team to determine if the upgrades have achieved their goals. He emphasizes the need for Ferrari to make the most of each race weekend this year as they aim to gradually defeat Verstappen and Red Bull.
Indisputably, Charles Leclerc and Ferrari are pleased with their recent performance. However, the Italian team must continue to focus on upgrades throughout the season, as McLaren is not far behind in the standings. It is even possible that fans will witness a three-way battle for the world title if McLaren continues to consistently keep up with Verstappen and Leclerc.
