Charles Leclerc admits Canada is "best race of the year for Ferrari" but warns "more steps are needed"

Charles Leclerc admits Canada is “best race of the year for Ferrari” but warns “more steps are needed”. Charles' post-race comments.

Completed comeback
The Canadian Grand Prix concluded with a strong fourth-place finish for Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, who, along with his Maranello teammate Carlos Sainz, managed to climb up from the tenth and eleventh grid places to the positions just outside of the podium. It was an encouraging result for the Italian side, and Charles Leclerc expressed the hope, which was clear in his comments, that today’s achievement is not just due to a track layout favorable to the SF-23, but a significant starting point for the future. However, in the post-race interview, Charles Leclerc, while sharing the satisfaction for the impressive comeback, tried to temper excessive enthusiasm following the race held at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal.

“Good feeling, but it’s not enough”
“The feeling is positive,” commented Charles Leclerc to Sky Sport F1 after the race, “but this is a very unique track with challenging curbs, and the car’s setup plays a crucial role. This weekend was good from the beginning. It’s a shame about yesterday’s qualifying, but there’s no point in dwelling on that. Today was a positive day considering we started 10th and 11th and finished 4th and 5th with good pace and strategy, and a good feeling.” – the Monegasque driver pointed out.

More steps are needed
Ambitious and eager for results in a 2023 Formula One season that has seen him reach the podium only once so far, Charles Leclerc has sent a clear message to Maranello, hoping for further progress in the upcoming races. He warned, “The goal is to improve from here, and I believe we have found something good because since Friday, I have been feeling better with the car. I have taken a different direction, and I feel more comfortable. This is positive, but we need to take one more step.”

The best Ferrari
“Today, this was the best Ferrari since the beginning of the season,” acknowledged Charles Leclerc, “and that puts a smile on my face, but the real smile will come when I fight for victory. We must be aware that we should be happy when we take a step forward because it’s not always easy. Today, the feeling was good, and we made progress. We are satisfied, but starting tomorrow, we will have to work even harder to close the gap that still separates us.” – Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc concluded at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix.