But the Scuderia pairing of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz arrived in Imola amid expectation to compete for a race win after reports of new upgrades to their cars. The Spaniard however, only came in fifth with Oscar Piastri between the two team-mates, as hopes of a first team title since 2007 continue to fade.

“I think our race pace is very, very strong,” Leclerc told Sky Sports F1. “I’m more optimistic than yesterday looking back at the qualifying because this is where I think we are lacking on a weekend like this.

“What makes me optimistic is that if I look back at the data, I thought we were losing in turn two, three, four, which would have been tyre related again. But it wasn’t the case. We lost everything in the straights, and they are doing something weird with the energy, engine-wise, McLaren and Red Bull.”

The Monegasque man admitted that overhauling Norris was not a realistic proposition on Sunday, and implied that the performance of Piastri scuppered the team’s intentions to challenge the front two. “We had to cover for Oscar on the first stint,” he said.

“There’s no way we could afford to lose track position on a track like this. So we had to stop Oscar. He was pushing hard on the first laps with the hard. It made it difficult for me to manage tyres in the first part of the hard tyres.

“Then, I saw I was coming back on Lando. I thought I could put him under pressure. But as soon as I got closer, they started to push. That was it. I never saw Lando again. They were strong but I really believe today was all about track position.”

The scrutiny on the Italian giants has ramped up since it was confirmed that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing Sainz for 2025, and forming an intriguing partnership with Leclerc. But the gap to Red Bull continues to be a concern for Fred Vassear and co, with his team trailing their rivals by 56 points in the constructors’ standings.

For Hamilton though, it appears the move cannot come soon enough. The seven-time world champion could only labour to sixth place, and in his final season with Mercedes is yet to register a podium finish in 2024 after seven Grand Prix races.