McLaren boss shares intriguing verdict about Ferrari and Charles Leclerc's pace at the F1 Italian GP

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella claimed that Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc had the same pace as them during the recently concluded Italian Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver pulled off one of the best performances of his career to hold on to his race lead from a charging Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the final laps of the race in Monza last Sunday.

The 26-year-old was one of nine drivers to opt for a one-stop strategy while the Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull opted for a two-stopper as they experienced more tire degradation. The McLaren team boss spoke about the race to the media and mentioned that it was very close with Ferrari and Leclerc.

“A very close race with Ferrari. Charles Leclerc was very quick today, and he was able to win the race by executing a one-stop, while we felt that we needed to go on two stops to make sure we had enough tires to make it to the end of the race. I think Leclerc was as fast as McLaren today, because he could stay with Oscar in the first stint.

"Normally, when you have the dirty air, and you can stay with the race leader, it means that you are at least as fast as the race leader. This normally leads to some more degradation, like Charles Leclerc had in the final pit of the first stint. And even in the second stint, he was behind the two McLarens, and still he could stay with the McLarens.”

Leclerc stated that the team needed to be cautious for the remainder of the 2024 season despite bringing an upgrade to the Italian Grand Prix and reaping the rewards instantly.

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Charles Leclerc gives his take on Ferrari's chances for the remainder of 2024

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc told F1.com:

“We've got to be cautious.We had also another upgrade, which I think definitely brought us closer to McLaren, but I don't think it's enough to be the car to beat for the rest of the season on other tracks. I think we still have a lot of work to do, but I'm really happy anyway to have one here in Italy.”

Leclerc pointed out that Monaco and Monza are 'unique tracks' and the team experienced a run of four bad races after bringing the upgrade package.

Ferrari's 37-point haul in Monza helped it close up to Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship and brought the gap down to 39 points. Leclerc closed the gap to Lando Norris in P2 to 24 points as he sits on 217 points compared to Norris's 241 with eight races and three Sprints remaining.