Charles Leclerc says he has “no idea” if his and Ferrari’s current form will be enough to fight for the Formula 1 championship in 2022.
The Monegasque has had two epic battles for victory with Max Verstappen in the opening two races, coming out on top in Bahrain before finishing 0.5s behind the Dutchman in Jeddah.
Ferrari’s renaissance has been thanks to a combination of capitalising on F1’s new regulations and making a step with its engine, leaving Leclerc very satisfied with the progress made.
“I’m quite happy with this start of the season for sure, working well with the team and the preparation for the first race was very good,” he said via Motorsport Week.
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“I feel good in general but there’s definitely more to come.
“The thing I’m happy about is not really the performance, but I know exactly where I still need to work and where/what I need to improve to unlock more performance.”
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has remained coy on the Scuderia’s chances of claiming a first championship since 2008 this year, and the Monegasque is equally cautious.
“Whether it [my form] will be enough or not to win the world championship I have no idea,” he continued.
“It’s still very early in the season, but let’s say that it is a very good start of the season.
“As I said many times, I think development will be key and we as drivers need to help the team in the best way possible to keep this competitiveness.”
After a tricky 2021 that saw him outscored by teammate Carlos Sainz, long-time Ferrari development driver Marc Gene has been very impressed by Leclerc’s attitude so far in 2022.
“He used to be very emotional and this year he has changed a lot,” the Spaniard told the F1 Nation podcast. “Charles is like a 2.0 version of himself.
“When I went to Barcelona for the private testing, we spent a lot of time together. He was completely changed in his mindset and his mentality, and you can see it.
“I was expecting Charles to be more over the moon after qualifying, after the pole, and the race in Bahrain, but he seemed so much more mature and aware that this is a very long championship.”