Ferrari is not optimistic about challenging McLaren, Formula 1's new frontrunner, at every remaining race this season, including Baku.
As Red Bull's dominance has waned throughout 2024, McLaren has taken the lead as the most consistently pace-setting team, although Ferrari and Mercedes have also managed to score victories.
Charles Leclerc stunned the F1 world and Ferrari fans alike at Monza with his daring one-stop strategy, with the win also credited to a major car update.
Ferrari's senior engineer Jock Clear clarified that the Monza update wasn't specifically designed for the Italian Grand Prix.
"We do not align our development with specific races," he explained. "If Zandvoort had been on the Monza date, we would have brought it there instead."
The key feature of the recent update, aside from a low-downforce rear wing developed especially for Monza, was a new floor aimed at addressing the porpoising issue triggered by the Barcelona specification. "If you're too aggressive, you'll pay for it," Clear told Auto Motor und Sport. "And we were too aggressive."
While the floor update clearly proved effective at Monza, Clear is unsure if the car will be as competitive at other circuits. "We cannot say with certainty that it will work everywhere," he admitted.
"We have to incorporate the data from Monza into our calculation models and trust our tools."
Ferrari's team principal, Frederic Vasseur, is also cautious about forecasting future victories for the team. "It is difficult to determine what contribution the upgrade made to the victory in Monza," he noted.
"When six cars are within two tenths of each other, every detail can be important.
"The main factor in the race was certainly our good tyre management."
Leclerc, who also claimed a win at Monaco earlier in the season, is wary of being called the favourite for this weekend's Azerbaijan GP in Baku.
"Our package was working pretty well on a track like Monza," he said, "but whether it will be the same for the rest of the season, I doubt. So I don't know."
"I still think McLaren are the favourites but we have done a step forward, that's for sure, and Baku is a pretty nice track for me. So who knows. Maybe we can achieve something special there again."
Unfortunately for Ferrari, the special Monza rear wing won't be suitable for Baku – and not all teams designed a specific wing for low-downforce tracks.
"I mean, we had really good top speed and that definitely helped on a track like Monaco," Leclerc remarked. "I honestly didn't check everybody else's rear wing to see if they also brought something special."
"Before Monza, I didn't see myself challenging for wins anywhere else. Maybe Singapore," he added. "On the other tracks, I still feel like we are a step behind McLaren and Red Bull." body check tags ::
