Leclerc not yet thinking of battle with Verstappen: 'Still way too early'

Leclerc was surprised by the points figure at the post-race press conference: "Oh, is it 31? Oh, somebody told me 23. So I was excited!" laughed the Monegasque driver. He continued: "But 31 is okay. I mean, I'll take it anyway. But it's a bit more than what I had been told. So, yeah, it's okay. But I don't think about the championship for now anyway. And it's still too early in the season."

About the upgrades that came at Imola, Leclerc knows little to say at the moment: "I think the upgrades that we have brought in Imola, we have to see how well they work and where it will bring us. And then it's all about maximising all weekends. And then hopefully, little by little, we'll get there."

Difference from last year

Last year, the difference between Leclerc and Verstappen at this point in the season was 102 points. Verstappen's biggest rival then was Sergio Perez who was 39 points away from the Dutchman. One difference though is that Monaco was round seven last season, and now round eight. A big improvement for Leclerc, but business as usual for Max Verstappen, even if he finishes a less dominant year than 2023.