Charles Leclerc had high hopes of becoming Ferrari’s first world champion since 2007 when he signed a five-year contract extension with the team in 2019. He came close to doing so in 2022, but his challenge fell off as the season progressed. This year, they are a lot far behind and are nowhere close to challenging for the title. On top of that, Leclerc being very error-prone led to Peter Windsor making a strong claim about his mentality.
How time flies ❤️
Heading back to where @Charles_Leclerc made his @ScuderiaFerrari debut with us in 2019 🇦🇺#essereFerrari 🔴 pic.twitter.com/LK91UuEwFz
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) April 5, 2022
Ferrari saw Leclerc as the future of the team and a possible rival to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Since then, however, things have not gone according to plan for them. The Monegasque driver narrowly missed out on the title to Verstappen, suffering from confidence issues after several big mistakes
Ferrari is even further behind as Red Bull has dominated this season with its superior cars and engines. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari’s lead driver, said that he doubted if any team can challenge Red Bull until 2026 until the new regulations kick in. This could mean four more years of Verstappen’s supremacy.
Charles Leclerc’s Frustration with Ferrari’s Performance
Peter Windsor, one of F1’s most experienced journalists, spoke about how frustrated Leclerc is with his performances. There are several things which add to his problems, and Ferrari’s poor mechanical package is one of the main reasons.
🎙️| Charles Leclerc:
“Honestly, we are making our lives so much more difficult.”
“I’m very frustrated now.”
“We need to improve otherwise we are always going to be disappointed.”
“It’s not the first time we are on the wrong side in these conditions.”
Gutted 💔 pic.twitter.com/eQ9vsDJ7nU
— Ferrari News 🐎 (@FanaticsFerrari) June 18, 2023
Windsor believes that Leclerc is pushing too hard to keep up with Verstappen. He said that Ferrari’s car is not predictable and that it is difficult for a driver like Leclerc to remain patient.
“Leclerc’s benchmark is racing at the top with Max and Lewis. When he’s not in that situation, he doesn’t really seem to care much about anything other than just trying to get back into that situation. That’s possibly why we see him making more mistakes and doing weird things, because he’s just desperate to get where he wants to be.”
Windsor added that Ferrari’s car still suffers from aerodynamic deficiencies, which make it difficult to handle on some tracks. This has become a problem for Leclerc, who has been forced to retire from several races due to technical problems.
Verstappen’s rivalry with Charles Leclerc goes back to their karting days
Charles Leclerc and Verstappen have known each other since they were kids, as they raced together in karting. They were both considered prodigies and championship material from the start. They have had some fierce battles and clashes on track.
Leclerc said, “We have a lot of respect for each other. We push each other to the limit, and that makes for some great racing.”
Leclerc added he enjoys racing against Verstappen, as he pushes him to the limit and makes him a better driver. The Monegasque driver said that he admires Verstappen’s talent and consistency, but doesn’t fear him or stop criticizing him.
