Monza has consecrated Charles Leclerc in the hearts of Ferrari fans. Five years have passed since the 2019 triumph, a Sunday that only this year was accompanied by an equally strong emotion that came after the victory on the streets of home in Monaco. On the eve of the weekend, Charles did not rule out any outcome, but looking ahead he made it clear that it will not be the Brianza track that will highlight the strengths or weaknesses of the long-awaited package of updates that Ferrari brings to the track.
“I don’t think Monza is the best track to evaluate the innovations that we will bring to the track – he underlined – I think Baku and Singapore will be two tracks much more indicative regarding the progress that we believe this package will bring. In Monza not much should change, on this track regardless of the innovations the critical issues that penalized us on other layouts should not emerge”. Tomorrow’s tests will begin to outline the values on the field, but for Leclerc there will be no additional pressure linked to the team’s home race.
“Personally, I have never felt the pressure, maybe in 2019 in the last ten or fifteen laps of the race, when there were either Lewis or Valtteri who were following me very closely. I really wanted to win and in that case you feel the pressure a bit, but today I can say that the feeling I have is just great motivation. The Monza weekend actually starts in Maranello on Monday or Tuesday, then there are days with events where the passion of the fans comes through strongly, Wednesday in Milan is an example, but on every occasion around here the affection of the fans always emerges. And it is not a feeling reserved for the drivers, every person on the team feels an extra push, something very special”.
Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
The new features of the Monza circuit (the asphalt and the lowered kerbs) seem to fit well with the characteristics of the Ferrari. “It is true that so far we have done well on the high kerbs,” Leclerc stressed, “but at low speeds. I don’t see the lowering of the kerbs at Ascari as bad news, as far as I’m concerned I am happy that they are lower. As for the track, I think there will be a lot of grip, but on this front we need to wait until tomorrow for the first evaluations.”
Formula 1 arriving in Monza in 2024 requires a lot of caution on the forecast front. The very small margins between the four top teams make it impossible to make predictions. “Let’s be clear, I would like to see a dominant Ferrari,” Charles reiterated, “but if it’s not possible to see this scenario then a fight to the wire between several teams is welcome. We have seen that the gap between McLaren and Red Bull has been eliminated, we are not yet in that group so we know we have to work. However, I understand that it is very nice for a spectator in front of the television to watch a challenge with unpredictable outcomes.”
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