After five races of the season, it is already becoming apparent that the world championship title in Formula 1 will probably go to Red Bull again. Ferrari Vice President Piero Ferrari therefore expects progress from their own drivers.
“Charles [Leclerc] has the speed to keep up with Max Verstappen. But he has less experience in terms of the number of Grand Prix starts. Leclerc can still grow and he will grow,” said the 77-year-old in an interview with “Autosprint”.
The Italian took on Carlos Sainz even more clearly. “I think we still haven’t seen its full potential. We’re still waiting for that,” noted Enzo Ferrari’s son.
The Scuderia has once again experienced a sobering start to the motorsport year. Leclerc had to give up twice early due to technical defects. After all, the Monegasse ensured the only podium finish for the traditional racing team from Maranello. Meanwhile, Sainz is still missing top 3 rankings.
Formula 1: Verstappen “at the peak of his career”
Things are very different at Red Bull, where Verstappen and Sergio Pérez have shared every win so far.
Piero Ferrari could therefore only pay his respects to the competition. “Verstappen is incredibly fast. He drove in Formula 1 before he even had a driver’s license,” he recalled.
“I was there when he got his first win in Barcelona. After that he made mistakes and had accidents. Now he’s a young driver who still has a lot of experience. He’s a great driver who’s already at the peak of his career “, enthused the entrepreneur about the 25-year-old Dutchman, who competed 168 times in Formula 1.
After three wins in the first five races, Verstappen is currently leading the drivers’ championship again. He had already secured the World Championship title in the last two seasons.