Charles Leclerc admits that his recent results since winning the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix have been “very difficult” to accept, as Ferrari has taken a step backwards since introducing its recent upgrade package. Ferrari had an exceptional performance in the opening rounds and even claimed a first-three finish at Monaco; however, the upgrade package for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix has had a significant impact on the SF24. Since Monaco, Ferrari has dropped from second to fourth place. Leclerc has failed to score points in two of the last three races, most recently the Austrian Grand Prix. It wasn’t entirely his fault, however, as the Monaco driver finished last on the first lap after being sandwiched between Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez at the first corner.

In Leclerc’s eyes, Perez was too excited when entering the first turn of the 71-lap race at the Red Bull Ring. “I tried to pull out but I felt Checo was a bit optimistic about it, there’s never really a good finish in the first corner if you try to go three-way, but if you go two-way it’s quite difficult towel,” Leclerc shared with a number of media. “So three-wide was very difficult. I didn’t know Checo was inside me, and I just saw myself as a passenger. “And then when I braked, Checo also braked slower and once you were there, you were there. So I tried to control the situation the best way I could but I couldn’t.”

Since winning the Monaco GP, Leclerc has retired to Canada, finishing fifth in Spain and then 11th in Austria last weekend. This has affected his and Ferrari’s championship hopes, although the numbers achieved by the Italian team show that they have made progress. Even so, Leclerc admitted there are still some issues that need to be resolved as soon as possible.

“There are very few coincidences in Formula 1, especially when it happens two weeks in a row so we have to look at it and analyze it,” Leclerc added. “But the numbers that we’re seeing, that means we’re one step closer. However, there are still other limitations that we need to look at to try to eliminate.” Leclerc continued: “I didn’t expect us to have three results like this since Monaco. The team is really, really difficult. So there’s still a lot of work to do.”