“Not Really What Matters to Me”: Charles Leclerc Does Not Care About Battle With George Russell or Lando Norris

While Charles Leclerc may be a country mile away from a championship battle this year, he’s still got a lot to play for. With the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix up next, the Monegasque is locked into battle with familiar foes, George Russell and Lando Norris. The British duo are hot on the heels of Leclerc as they fight to secure P6 in the driver’s standings. On the face of it, it is a tantalizing prospect for Leclerc to stay engaged for the remainder of the season. However, in reality, the Monacan racing ace couldn’t care less.

It’s been a season of ups and downs for Leclerc with Ferrari. While the SF-23 has lacked out-and-out pace as compared to the trendsetters, Red Bull, Leclerc’s performances have been erratic. Frustration seems to have kicked in for him in 2023 as a mix of reliability and unforced errors see him far from where he would have expected himself in the championship this year.

Le Mans LMP2 winner, Richard Bradley, believes Lando Norris will finish his career with more World titles than Charles Leclerc and George Russell 😳

“I gotta go Lando. I think Lando will. I just think that Lando has this ability…”#F1 #Formula1 #McLaren #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/2OjLzE0lYD

— McLaren F1 News 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇦🇺 (@TheMcLarenZone) October 3, 2023

This is uncharted territory for the 25-year-old. Just a year ago, he was fighting toe-to-toe with Max Verstappen for the title. But after the declining form that plagued the Scuderia in the 2nd half of 2022, the duo haven’t picked themselves up.

Despite all to play for, Charles Leclerc belittles Russell x Norris battle

Indeed, ultimate glory isn’t on the cards for Leclerc this year. However, holding onto P6 can be the best way to salvage this season for Ferrari’s poster boy. It isn’t going to be an easy task though. Leclerc only has a cushion of 20 points between himself and the hounding duo of Norris and Russell. Ideally, this should gee him up for the Qatar GP. The reality, however, is quite the opposite.

When quizzed if he had given any thought to the battle he is locked in with Norris and Russell, Leclerc replied, “I mean we are fighting, I don‘t even know whether it‘s fifth or sixth in the Drivers’ championship, and this is not really what matters to me.”

How mindful are you of the threat from behind, George and Lando, who are just 20 points behind you.

Charles: “I don‘t mind tbh. I mean we are fighting, I don‘t even know whether it‘s fifth or sixth in the Drivers’ championship, and this is not really what matters to me.

Of… pic.twitter.com/uGhVRIZTlg

— tami. (@Vetteleclerc) October 5, 2023

With the current field spread, Ferrari is no longer the 2nd best team on the grid. The 2023 Japanese Grand Prix proved that. But there isn’t much to separate the trio of Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes either. With 6 races to go, this battle could go in any direction.

Leclerc and Ferrari have their priorities sorted out

While he may not care about his fate in the driver’s championship anymore, the Monegasque is keen on ensuring that Ferrari clinches 2nd in the Constructors’. Leclerc explained, “The second place [in the Constructors’ championship] is still to fight for, which is a bit more interesting.” Second is the best he can hope for right now. But for 2024, he expects the Scuderia to pull their socks up.

There is no silver bullet in F1. But Leclerc is convinced that the “significant step” that Ferrari has in its cannon for 2024 will ensure that sooner or later he will be able to compete with and possibly even dethrone Max Verstappen.

When F1 transitions into 2024, Ferrari may have done their bit. But if Charles Leclerc wants to fulfill his dream of winning the championship with the prancing horse from Maranello, then, he has to dig deep and eliminate the inconsistency and errors that derailed his championship bid in 2022 and still haunt him to this day.