Ferrari has had a disastrous 2023 season so far, as they currently find themselves fourth in the championship. They are not only behind third-placed Aston Martin by 32 points but are already a whopping 199 points behind leaders Red Bull.
As a result of Ferrari’s continuous underperformance, frustration is increasing in their camp. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have often revealed their displeasure on the team radio recently. Their annoyance has seemingly been so obvious that it has also prompted former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher to give his thoughts on the same.
Schumacher shared his opinion on this matter after Sainz slammed his race engineer at the Canadian Grand Prix for not informing him about his position on track during qualifying. As a result of this incident, the Spaniard also got a penalty for the main race.
“Tone is very rough“: Schumacher on Sainz and Leclerc’s frustrations
While speaking to Sky Sports (as quoted by motorsport-total.com), Ralf Schumacher shared his concerns with the situation going on at Ferrari. “In general, the tone is very rough,” he said before explaining why he believes that the angry reactions on the team radio will do Ferrari more harm than good.
In the interview, Schumacher explained his worry about how it will be difficult for the Italian outfit to get together as “the drivers scream more than the team.” He believes Ferrari is at a critical point now because if they do nothing to improve the team’s morale, then “the spiral will continue down.”
Recapping the fightback 👊
A summary of our #CanadianGP with the race roundup 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/RrkElKch16
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 20, 2023
Hence, the former German driver believes that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is now responsible for getting his side back together by meeting with his drivers and the engineers. Schumacher concluded his remarks by stating that the situation at Ferrari is “amateurish” and unacceptable.
Will Charles Leclerc stay at Ferrari?
One issue that has propped up is Charles Leclerc’s future amid the growing tensions at Ferrari. Even though the Monegasque has made it abundantly clear that his dream is to win a world championship with the Prancing Horse, the question is how patient he will remain.
Rumors have already begun about Leclerc’s future, with some reports emerging that the 25-year-old may consider joining Mercedes. These rumors grew so large that earlier in the season, F1 reporters also asked Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to address these speculations directly.
And as these rumors continue, Ralf Schumacher also gave his take on how he views Leclerc’s future. Instead of tipping Leclerc for a move to Mercedes, the 47-year-old believes that there is a good chance that the Monegasque can join Aston Martin.
While speaking on Sky Germany (as quoted by gpfans.com), Schumacher said that Leclerc could move to Aston Martin as this team also need to look around for some bright talent. This is because the former German driver believes that the British outfit is struggling with Lance Stroll’s inability to “fulfill the season goals.”
With more than half the season remaining, it will be interesting to see whether Leclerc stays at Ferrari or decides to switch to a rival.
