The Monegasque Formula 1 driver thinks that the Italian team is to blame for the bad run with which the season has started
Charles Leclerc began his campaign in 2023 as a pilot of Ferrari under pressure. After just two races, he finds himself with only six points to his credit. He was eliminated from the Bahrain Grand Prix due to an engine problem and faces penalties at the next race in Saudi Arabia.
According to Jenson Button, leclerc is “as fast as anyone, if not the fastest in terms of raw speed, but he seems not to know where the limit is”. As Leclerc says, mistakes are “normal” as he has to “explore the limits” of the track to get the best out of his Ferrari. “I am totally focused on speed and exploring the limits of the race car, mistakes are normal,” he insisted to Speedweek.
Leclerc’s accidents at the Miami and Baku Grand Prix
“Of course there is pressure, especially when you are part of Ferrari, and with the slightest mistake, people are disappointed in you.” These were the words of Leclerc, acknowledging the pressure that comes with belonging to the renowned team. Leclerc’s crashes at the Miami Grand Prix followed his crash in Baku, where the driver crashed in qualifying.
That, however, gave him pole position for the race. Despite starting in P1, Leclerc finished in third place, beaten by Red Bull pairing Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen. With his clash in qualifying in Baku following his DNF at the Australian GP, The result of a first-lap crash with Lance Stroll, pundits are wondering if Leclerc is succumbing to the pressure. However, Leclerc denied this.
Leclerc and his perspective on pressure and risk
leclerc answered: “I am aware of my responsibility. As a racing driver you have to be able to deal with pressure, it’s part of the business like a wheel-to-wheel duel with an opponent. And it’s also part of the job that things don’t always turn out the way people expect. “A good performance is the mixture of work, preparation and risk.
I have to be able to find out where the limits of the car are and the tyres, especially in a final training session. “Hard work and consistency are essential for success, but it would be unrealistic to assume that everything will always go smoothly.” The 2023 season is still in its early stages and only time will tell if Leclerc will be able to overcome these challenges and show the true potential of his person.