Charles Leclerc has admitted that if he were to win the 2024 world championship, he wouldn't feel that he "deserved" it.

While Max Verstappen and Lando Norris remain locked in a tight battle for the title, with just 52 points between them and six races to go, Leclerc is only 34 points further behind, making him a distant but mathematical contender.

"We have to finish this season in the best possible way before thinking about the next one," Leclerc told RTBF in Austin. "But the drivers' title is going to be very difficult."

"If we win it, it's because we've been very lucky during the last six races, unlike Max and Lando. And I don't wish that on them. We have to win with merit," Leclerc said.

"This year, we don't deserve it yet. But we're working on it," he continued. "We are closer to the constructors' title, but we don't have the best car for that either. On paper, it's difficult.

"McLaren has the best car today, ahead of Red Bull and Ferrari, but we're working hard to reverse the trend."