Leclerc does not "want to give up now" despite Ferrari's current struggles

Despite Ferrari's disappointing start to the season, Charles Leclerc has refused to give up his hopes for the current season, claiming that upgrades can change the pecking order very quickly.

On the back of their home race at Imola, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in all free practice sessions at his own home round at Monte Carlo.

Although Leclerc was unable to beat McLaren's Lando Norris for pole in qualifying, his second starting position was still a great result considering Ferrari's current struggles over a single flying lap.

The Monegasque has scored a total of 79 points so far, securing two podium finishes in Saudi Arabia and Monaco. As a result of the Scuderia's tough start to the season, the Ferrari driver finds himself 82 points adrift of championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Asked whether he has also abandoned the season, Leclerc reaffirmed that he will not give up his hopes for the current season, claiming that upgrades can change the pecking order very quickly.

"No. We definitely don’t want to give up now. It’s still kind of early. I mean, we’re getting to mid-season soon, but we cannot afford to give up now. We’ve seen last year the situation changed a lot since when McLaren brought those upgrades.

"I believe that in Barcelona will be another very important point of the season with this new regulation on the front wings, and then we’ll see whether it benefits us or not.

"Then we’ll have to make the decision – probably Fred will have to make the decision – whether it’s the right time to move on and prepare next season, that is going to be super, super important for everyone to be starting on the right foot."

Signing off with a word for Ferrari's current technical issues with its car, Leclerc said: "I wish I knew. What’s in the pipeline? We’ve got quite a few things, but I cannot give any timelines. And the timelines keep changing because the team is pushing a lot to bring them as early as possible.

"There are things, but whether it’s going to be enough to close the gap – I hope so. But to be in front and fighting for wins, I’m not sure yet," concluded Leclerc.