Charles Leclerc has been on the receiving end of extreme misfortune throughout the 2023 season. Despite the same, the Monegasque according to PitDebrief has claimed that he would rather face troubles like these in a season where he is not fighting for the championship rather than in a season where he is a title contender.
Leclerc said, “You’ve got seasons where you have more problems, and then you’ve got seasons where you have less. I’d rather have a lot of problems in a season where I am fighting for these positions, than in a season that I am fighting for a championship.”
Charles Leclerc: “You’ve got seasons where you have more problems, and then you’ve got seasons where you have less. I’d rather have a lot of problems in a season where I am fighting for these positions, then in a season that I am fighting for a championship.”
Source: @PitDebrief pic.twitter.com/qSZjQ26Z7W
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) November 8, 2023
Leclerc has been the victim of misfortune ever since the season kicked off in Bahrain. The 26-year-old was running a comfortable P3 when he suffered an engine failure and failed to finish the race as a result. Things got even worse for him as he received a 10-place grid penalty in the following race in Saudi Arabia for taking a new electronic unit.
The latest episode of misfortune for Leclerc took place in Brazil where the Ferrari driver was supposed to start from P2 right beside Max Verstappen. However, more pain followed on the formation lap itself as the Ferrari lost its hydraulics, and as a consequence, Leclerc lost his power steering.
Almost 20% of Charles Leclerc’s races over the last 2 years have ended in a DNF, DSQ, or DNS (8/42).
6 DNFs
1 DSQ
1 DNSNo wonder Charles joked about going on a religious trip after Brazil. He’s been through hell over the past 2 seasons with Ferrari. pic.twitter.com/C6Vpd9Opd0
— Dan’s DRS Zone (@F1GuyDan) November 7, 2023
He veered off into the barriers and his race was over through no fault of his own even before it started. However, the 2022 season had been even more heartbreaking for the Monegasque.
Leclerc had put in some amazing performances at the start of the season, so much so that it felt like a championship fight might be on the cards. However, a series of errors from both him and the team meant that Verstappen soon overtook him and marched on to clinch the 2022 title.
Charles Leclerc believes that he needs god to save him from the misfortunes
Ferrari have become the only team to register a race win in 2023 apart from Red Bull. However, apart from the Singapore GP, they haven’t been able to come anywhere near the dominant RB19. Charles Leclerc believes that will be the case at least till the new regulations come into play in 2026.
Leclerc to Sky Sport Italy: “I might need a trip to Lourdes” 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/c7r0XMUMnQ
— PolMat16Racing (@PolMat16Racing) November 5, 2023
However, even when the Ferrari does manage to get up to speed with their rivals, bad luck has always made sure that Leclerc cannot make the best out of his opportunities. In order to overcome this negative phase, the Monegasque has planned a trip to Lourdes to seek blessings and good luck, with the hope that things get better for him and Ferrari in 2024.
As per team principal Fred Vasseur, their 2024 challenger would be at least eight-tenths faster than their current car. This would allow the Maranello outfit to fight for race wins at the front of the grid. However, whether that is indeed the reality, only time will tell.
