Charles Leclerc has called for his Ferrari team not to get carried away in spite of a dominant victory in today’s Australian Grand Prix.

Leclerc’s perfect performance in Melbourne, which saw him lead every lap of the race, puts him 34 points clear of George Russell in second as the champion returns to Europe for the next round of the championship held at Imola, where a raucous home crowd is expected at the circuit named in honour of Enzo Ferrari and his son Dino.

Although it looked easy, Ferrari had come to Australia thinking this would be a challenging circuit for the team’s F1-75, but the team’s data proved wrong as Leclerc took pole position by over two tenths from over two-tenths reigning World champion Max Verstappen.

“What a great victory this was for us! We managed our pace well and were extremely competitive. We didn’t suffer from tyre degradation, even when pushing hard. The car was just amazing, and I’m very pleased with how my race went. On paper, this was a track that we expected to be tough for us, so we have to review our data because we were, in fact, very strong. It’s a great way to start the season, but we have to keep in mind that we are only three races into a very long championship.”

Leclerc also talked about how proud he was of everyone working in the team, whether they were back in the factory at Maranello or on the ground in Melbourne. The young Monegasque also reached another milestone in his Ferrari career as his victory in Melbourne means that he now has the same amount of wins as Eddie Irvine and 1964 World champion John Surtees had when they drove for Ferrari.

“We can’t afford to relax at any moment and have to stay on top of things, most of all on development. Congratulations to everyone on our team. What an amazing job you have all done! I’m very proud of how far we’ve come and can’t wait to continue fighting. Forza Ferrari!.”

Ferrari’s team principal Mattia Binotto was thrilled with Leclerc’s performance which he now says he is making a habit of after also dominating in Bahrain. The Swiss-born Italian also briefly looked forward to Imola.

“I am very pleased. It’s always great to win, and it also boosts the morale of the team who deserve all this because they have all developed the right mentality to face difficult moments head-on and make the most of any opportunity. We always say that you can only come out on top in Formula 1 if you do everything to perfection, and I think today’s race proved that. Charles delivered a mature performance, something he is now making a habit of.”

“We have earned some time with our families over Easter, but then we will get back to it, working on the next race, which, being at Imola, takes on even greater importance. We can’t wait to be there, and we’re looking forward to seeing the circuit packed with our fans to share this good start to the year.”