Ferrari have struggled to perform in the 2023 season as they find themselves way behind Red Bull. However, their results have improved substantially in the recent few races. Both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have delivered better results, with the former also going on to win a race for the team. When it comes to the battle between the two teammates, the Spaniard has been outshining the Monegasque. Since Sainz has performed so much better than Leclerc recently, Ralf Schumacher has urged the 25-year-old not to make any more mistakes.
Leclerc has been struggling at Ferrari because the set-up of the car is not as per his liking. He recently gave an interview to the-race.com, where he explained the problems he has been facing. “I had to do some work to try and fit my driving a bit better to an understeery car which is not my biggest strength, and I know it,” he explained.
While Leclerc has been struggling, the same cannot be said for Sainz. The 29-year-old has made the most of the opportunities that has come his way this season as he not only clinched a fantastic podium at Monza but followed it up with his first win of the 2023 season at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore.
Ralf Schumacher urges Charles Leclerc to step up
Ralf Schumacher believes that it is clear that if Charles Leclerc is keen to achieve success with Ferrari, then the Monegasque needs to make sure that he limits his mistakes. In an interview on the Formula1.de YouTube channel, the former German driver explained how there is no point for the 25-year-old to have enormous talent if he does not get things right at the end.
After stating the same, Schumacher added (as quoted by formulapassion.it), “Charles wants to make the difference with all his might and then runs over his car and also makes mistakes. Sainz is more level-headed“.
The biggest mistake that arguably cost Leclerc this season is the crash he had with Oscar Piastri during the Dutch Grand Prix. Since the Monegasque collided with the McLaren of Piastri, his Ferrari car lost 60 points of downforce.
Hence, since there was such a massive loss in performance, he eventually retired from the race. However, with Ferrari having improved their performance significantly in recent races, Leclerc cannot afford to make any more mistakes if the team is to finish second in the Constructors’ Championship.
Leclerc and Sainz need to work together to help Ferrari finish second
Over the course of the 2023 season, many F1 experts have suggested that Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz share a tense relationship because the team has been favoring the Monegasque. As a result, reports emerged that the Spaniard had already signed a pre-contract agreement with Audi to escape such bias.
While these reports have attracted lesser and lesser interest with Sainz now performing even better than Leclerc, the two will now need to work together to ensure that they help the team finish second in the Constructors’ Championship. As things stand, Mercedes currently are in second place and have a 20-point lead over Ferrari, with six races remaining in the 2023 season.
The hope for Ferrari will be to finish second in the Constructors’ Championship this season and then challenge Red Bull for the title next year. Since the Prancing Horse has been making steady progress, there is a possibility that they could emerge as the primary challengers to the Milton Keynes outfit next season.
