Charles Leclerc asserts that sporadic victories will not suffice for Ferrari in the 2024 Formula 1 season. However, he acknowledges that he can only determine what is achievable after the opening race.
Leclerc is entering his sixth season with Ferrari in Formula 1. Despite this, he has only managed to secure five wins during his time with the team. This is largely due to the dominance of Mercedes and now Red Bull.
In 2022, Leclerc began the latest regulation era leading the championship. Unfortunately, Ferrari’s hopes of securing the title crumbled due to a series of mistakes when they were at their most competitive.
Last season, Ferrari’s chances of mounting a challenge were thwarted from the start. Their troubled car design resulted in Leclerc going winless, while his teammate Carlos Sainz secured the team’s only victory that was not claimed by Red Bull.
In an effort to return to their winning ways, Ferrari has committed to a “revamp” with the SF-24 car, which is essentially a brand new design. They hope this will enable them to regularly compete for victories in the upcoming season.
When asked if he would be satisfied with two or three wins in 2024 as Ferrari continues to rebuild, Leclerc made it clear that his personal target for the year is much higher. He responded, “No, it’s not enough. It’s very difficult to predict our standing after the first race. However, my goal is not two or three wins; I want to win as many races as possible.”
Leclerc and Max Verstappen have engaged in some epic battles on the race track, but due to the contrasting performances of Ferrari and Red Bull, these encounters were rare last season.
Verstappen has taken full advantage of Red Bull’s dominant position over the past two years, securing 34 victories out of 44 races and earning himself the title of three-time World Champion.
When asked if Verstappen’s record-breaking success added more pressure or motivation for him to succeed this season, Leclerc responded, “Absolutely not more pressure. I have always been highly motivated, so it is very difficult to be even more motivated. I am already extremely motivated and hungry for victories.
“In 2023, I did not achieve any victories, so I cannot wait to be back on the top step of the podium, especially with Ferrari. Therefore, I am fully motivated. Does this make me more motivated? Not really.”
Ferrari finished a significant 454 points behind Red Bull in 2023, as they struggled with their SF-23 charger, which proved to be highly dependent on specific conditions. However, a mid-season switch to the downwash sidepod solution revitalized the team, enabling them to challenge for pole positions in the latter part of the season.
Although Leclerc acknowledges that closing the gap on Red Bull will be challenging, he draws encouragement from Ferrari’s ability to respond to adversity in recent times.
“Despite 2023 being a disappointing season overall, as we were not fighting for the positions we desired, I believe the team has reacted very well since the first race, which yielded a disappointing result,” Leclerc stated.
“Particularly in the second half of the season, the team’s momentum and the decisions we made were all positive and brought us closer and closer to Red Bull very quickly.
“Our goal is to build upon the strong foundation we established last year and make similar progress to put Red Bull under pressure as early as possible in the season.
“Whether this will be enough to challenge them from the first race onwards is impossible for me to say. However, one thing is certain – we have worked exceptionally well in the second half of the year, clearly defining our direction. Now, we will see where we stand in the first race.”
According to the Source motorsportweek.com