The 2023 season for Charles Leclerc has gone from bad to worse as he will take a 10-second grid penalty at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for undertaking a third control electronics unit.
This massive disappointment comes just two weeks after he suffered a DNF at the Bahrain GP due to reliability concerns. Despite the gigantic setback for Leclerc, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur believes that the Monegasque race driver will bounce back.
‘Not the end of the season: Vasseur on Charles Leclerc’s grid penalty
Frederic Vasseur admits that while it is disappointing for Charles Leclerc to take a grid penalty at the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia, he believes that it is not the ‘end of the season’ for them.
Speaking of the Monegasque’s reaction to the news, Vasseur told racingnews365.com, “Don’t imagine for a second he would be demotivated.” The 54-year-old said that Leclerc continues to remain committed and that he is pushing the team in the right direction.
Charles Leclerc’s 2023 season is off to an awful start
Ferrari’s problems with reliability seem to have carried over from last season, as Charles Leclerc suffered a DNF in the very first race of the season in Bahrain.
After sitting comfortably in second for most of the race, the 25-year-old scored no points. As a result, Ferrari only managed to fetch 12 points at the Bahrain GP, thanks to Carlos Sainz’s fourth place.
The last result, indeed, is a massive blow to the Prancing Horse, who find themselves fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, behind Red Bull Racing (43), Aston Martin (23), and Mercedes (16). In stark contrast, Ferrari scored a maximum of 44 points at the same venue last year.
Charles Leclerc remains committed to Ferrari despite a poor start to campaign
As per the Italian publication Funoanalisitecnica, Charles Leclerc has committed his future with Ferrari despite the team’s poor start to the F1 2023 season.
The report states that the Monegasque race driver still dreams of winning a championship with the team of his dreams and that he cannot see himself driving for another unit.
Since Leclerc has seemingly committed his future to Ferrari, the onus will now fall on the team to deliver him with a car that is capable of fighting for the championship.
