Charles Leclerc has a longing dream: The Monegasse would like to become world champion in Formula 1 – preferably at and with Ferrari. But Leclerc apparently doubts that the Scuderia can fulfill his big wish. He is said to have recently communicated this to an inner circle.
The 2023 Formula 1 season is slowly but surely coming to an end. There are still two races to be completed, and all teams have been working behind the scenes on the car and personnel line-up for 2024. Preparations are also in full swing at Ferrari.
Both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc still have a valid contract for the coming year, but these days the focus is already on the long-term future of the duo. However, poker could be difficult, especially with Leclerc.
As the “Corriere della Sera” reports, the first contract discussions with Leclerc have now begun, but his failure at the Brazilian Grand Prix, in which a technical fault in the car stopped him immediately before the start of the race, immediately put a “delicate” start to the talks “Given a coat of paint.
Because Leclerc is looking for and needs trust – especially in the car. And that’s exactly where Ferrari has been poorly positioned in recent years. The 26-year-old had to accept loss of points again and again because the Ferrari car was fumbling or the crew failed during the pit stop or the command post failed in tactics.
This is exactly what led Leclerc to tell an inner circle at Scuderia his doubts as to whether Ferrari is really capable of building him a world champion car, the Italian newspaper continues to report.
Formula 1: Charles Leclerc expects signals from Ferrari
Accordingly, Leclerc expects concrete signals from team boss Fred Vasseur and Ferrari itself that he can have confidence in his current employer’s project again. Ferrari has to dispel the doubts, they say.
It is quite possible that, despite all his ties to the Reds, with whom he will enter his sixth year in 2024, Leclerc will first wait and see whether Ferrari can build a car that is competitive over the entire season.
Last year, Leclerc duel with Max Verstappen for the World Cup at times, but in the end he was clearly defeated and “only” became runner-up. Little consolation given his ambitions.