Johnny Herbert expresses confidence in Ferrari’s Formula 1 title prospects, praising drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz for their mindset, critical for the team’s success in the upcoming world championship.
Johnny Herbert is convinced that Ferrari has the right ingredients to aim for the world title. The former F1 driver is particularly positive about the team’s drivers, who he believes are not responsible for the Scuderia’s recent failures.
“I think Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have the right mindset as a driver duo,” said Herbert. “Ferrari, in the last two years, had a car that probably could, and should, have won the championship.”
“But for various reasons, it never happened. And that’s where you had teams like Mercedes in the past, where everything fell into place. That’s what happened last year with Red Bull. It’s the combination of all elements.”
According to Herbert, Ferrari is only now starting to see the benefits of the new management under Fred Vasseur, who needed several months to settle in at the helm of the Scuderia and begin laying the groundwork for his new policy.
“I spoke to someone in Abu Dhabi, and they told me it’s only now that we’re seeing signs of what Fred is and what he’s trying to implement to ensure they have everything they need for the start of next season.”
“Fred is a very good businessman, he loves racing, he has the right mindset for it, and it seems that things have definitely moved in the right direction.”
“But there’s still a bit of work to do on the competition side, if you really want to measure up to Max Verstappen. Maybe not in qualifying, where I think it’s very close. It’s the race, that’s where Red Bull and Verstappen still have a slight edge.”
Concerns Over Leclerc’s Mistakes?
Johnny Herbert raises a singular doubt about Charles Leclerc, focusing on the errors the Monegasque driver has made in recent years. He perceives Leclerc as less polished compared to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, but also notes recent improvements.
“If I had to be critical, the only thing we’ve all seen, I suppose, are those mistakes. And these errors, we don’t see them with Max, we don’t really see them with Lewis. There might have been a few in the last couple of years, but overall, when he was winning championships, they didn’t happen.”
“It’s the strength of the guys who become world champions, you look back to [Ayrton] Senna, [Alain] Prost, [Niki] Lauda, and people like that, they just have this ability to do it every time without making the errors we see other drivers make.”
“And drivers who make these mistakes generally never manage to turn things around and put themselves in a position to win a world championship. But I think Charles has shown at the end of the year that he’s heading in the right direction. Can he challenge Max and Lewis? Absolutely, and he’s proven it.”
“The wheel-to-wheel battles he’s had with Max, the respect they have for each other, I think that’s very, very important. But having everything, the whole package, gives you the right feeling to be able to produce what you need to do when you’re in the cockpit.”
Ferrari F1 Championship Aspirations Sainz & Leclerc Aim High. Ferrari F1 Championship Aspirations Sainz & Leclerc Aim High
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