On a day when many drivers suffered tyre issues Leclerc had a strong run to third place behind the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
After two difficult weekends in Britain and Hungary, it was the Italian team’s first podium since the Monegasque driver took second in Austria.
Leclerc suggested that there were signs of improved tyre degradation even in races where the team had poor results, but he remains cautious about the bigger picture.
“I think it's a bit too early to say but it's been two or three races where we are managing our tyres better,” he said. “I think today, this was definitely not the reason why we finished so far behind the Red Bulls, I think they were just quicker.
“But in terms of tyre management, we didn't have a huge degradation. And also looking at Mercedes behind, I was in control of the pace of my tyres.
“So on that it looked good. We still need to keep an eye on that because sometimes, especially in very specific conditions, we sometimes get off the window of the tyres, the right window, and then we struggle quite a lot.”
Source: Autosport