Leclerc fires McLaren, Red Bull warning over F1 title

Charles Leclerc has told McLaren and Red Bull that it is "everything to play for" in the three-way battle for the constructors' championship. 

After the Azerbaijan GP, Ferrari is in third-place in the standings on 425 points, 51 behind leaders McLaren and 41 behind second-placed Red Bull with seven rounds, including three sprints remaining. 

Furthermore, the United States and Sao Paulo Grands Prix could also feature inclement weather as they have in the past, with Ferrari enjoying a recent resurgence in form since the summer break after a poor run heading into the August shutdown. 

Leclerc is in third place in the drivers', some 88 points behind leader Max Verstappen and 29 behind McLaren's Lando Norris, and whilst he deems this to be a long shot, the Monegasque is far more optimistic around the constructors' battle.

"There is definitely an opportunity, but I think realistically, to take the drivers' championship is going to require not only a step in performance, but probably a little bit of luck as well," he told media including RacingNews365.

"For the constructors', everything is to play for because I think it is 40-something points, and with two drivers in one team, it is feasible. 

"We've got our chances and targets we will fix ourselves, but before thinking about any title, we've got to improve our car in order to consistently be in the fight with the guys in front and not just be there for one race because they did not optimise their package.

The 2024 season has been punctuated by wild swings in performance from the leading teams with upgrades crucial, as Leclerc called on Ferrari to focus on dialling its SF-24 machine on a more consistent basis.

"With this new generation of cars, we've seen a lot of ups and downs from different teams, and it is very difficult to find momentum and to have a straight line in terms of progress with the upgrades," he said.

"Mercedes and ourselves are finding gains, but sometimes we have bad surprises, but McLaren is probably the strongest in the last eight or nine races - and Red Bull have been strong although [the Italian GP was a bad surprise for them].

"That is the pecking order, McLaren on top, Red Bull second and then Mercedes and ourselves who need to find a little bit more consistency."