Final weekend Leclerc took his second win in three 2022 races, with nearest rival Max Verstappen struggling a second retirement within the Crimson Bull.
That opened up a niche of 34 factors for Leclerc on Mercedes’ George Russell, with Verstappen in sixth on 25 factors. Within the constructors’ championship Ferrari leads the best way with a 39-point benefit over Mercedes, as Crimson Bull fell an extra 10 factors in arrears.
Whereas it’s nonetheless very early within the season with one other 20 grands prix to go, Ferrari’s resurgence has brought about a whole lot of pleasure in Italy among the many tifosi and the media as F1 now heads to Imola for the primary of two races on the Scuderia’s residence soil.
However Leclerc has warned that the Maranello squad can not get too caught up within the hype brought on by its robust begin to 2022 and should not “overdo issues” because it tries to safe its first constructors’ title since 2008.
When requested in regards to the pleasure in Italy going into the Imola weekend, Leclerc stated: “Oh yeah, I can think about it, however I do not wish to give it some thought an excessive amount of as a result of it is nonetheless very early within the season.
“Clearly, it is good to be within the lead of the championship. Thirty-four factors is at all times good to take wherever you might be within the calendar however I do not wish to focus an excessive amount of on the championship for now.
Race winner Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 1st place
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“Italy might be unbelievable, however we have to method the race weekend identical to we approached the primary three weekends. I believe it is extraordinarily essential to not placed on ourselves additional stress and never attempt to overdo issues.
“We’re working as a staff extraordinarily nicely for the reason that starting of the season and we simply must maintain doing our job, identical to we did within the first three weekends.”
Leclerc has the benefit of already having skilled absorbing the stress of the tifosi, profitable a purple sizzling 2019 Italian Grand Prix at Monza after being hounded by Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas all race.
“Italy for us, it is at all times unbelievable, so I can not wait to be there. Clearly, Monza was a really tense race with Lewis behind however once more, I simply tried to to not assume an excessive amount of about the place we’re,” he recalled when quizzed by Sky Sports activities F1.
“Though the grandstands will look notably totally different there – there might be in all probability a bit extra purple – we’ll simply try to give attention to our job and to not focus an excessive amount of on the place we’re within the championship and in location.”
