Charles Leclerc in Monaco — Photo: © LAT Images

Ferrari

Leclerc: Ferrari not expecting 'miracles' at Canadian GP

Ferrari star Charles Leclerc sends an ominous warning to Prancing Horse fans

Jay Winter

Friday 16 June 2023 15:57

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has tempered expectations for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix, acknowledging that his team does not anticipate any "miracles" at the event.

After a challenging race in Spain where Leclerc narrowly missed out on points, the Monegasque remains cautiously optimistic about Ferrari's performance in Montreal.

Reflecting on the difficult weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, Leclerc says Ferrari have "learnt a lot" but warns Tifosi expecting a "huge step forward" not to hold their breath.

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“Yeah, [the Spanish Grand Prix] was a very difficult weekend for me especially," he recalled at an FIA press conference in Montreal.

"On this track, we don't have anything new, so I don't think we'll have any miracles but we need to just try and maximise our package, understand more this package, the way we should set up the car in order to maximise it.

"So we've learnt a lot. And I'm pretty sure we'll be in a better place for this weekend. But I don't think it will be a huge step forward.”

Leclerc trails Carlos Sainz by 16 points in the drivers' championship

'Far off our expectations'

Leclerc revealed Ferrari's overall dissatisfaction with its current on-track performance, recognising that it falls significantly short of their initial expectations for the season.

“I mean, overall, I think all the team is not satisfied with the performance we are showing at the moment on track," he stated.

"It's very far off our expectations at the beginning of the season. And yes, we are very clear with ourselves and it's very clear for us.”

"The feeling was really bad. And then, looking ahead, we just need to keep pushing, trying to bring upgrades as quickly as possible and regularly, which is our aim now, to try to close the gap with the guys in front and also to close the gap, especially in terms of race pace.”

However, all hope isn't lost for the 25-year-old. Despite their disappointing start, Leclerc believes the Prancing Horse's "clear direction" fills him with confidence in the project ahead.

”What gives me confidence, though, is that there's a clear direction in where we want to work and improve," he said.

"This is what makes me believe in the project.”

Although Leclerc struggled in Barcelona, his team-mate Carlos Sainz managed to plant his Ferrari SF23 on the front row alongside Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

If Ferrari can figure out how to extract the maximum amount of race pace and sort out their tyre degradation, F1 could see three teams battling for second place in the constructors' championship.