F1's Leclerc Clings to Title Dreams Despite Odds

Despite slim margins, Charles Leclerc remains optimistic about clinching this year’s F1 championship.

Italian media, as usual, are alarmist about the situation at Ferrari: the word ‘crisis’ is insistently repeated from the north to the south of the Boot…

Ferrari has indeed become only the fourth force on the grid in the recent Grands Prix. However, optimism remains within the Scuderia, especially with the upgrades that will be brought to Hungary (read here).

Charles Leclerc shares this optimism: speaking to the BBC, he asserted that the Scuderia’s recovery is just a matter of time.

“In the last races, we were not exactly where we want to be in terms of performance and that’s my main priority: to return to performances that allow us to fight for poles and victories.”

“I expect us to be in the fight with McLaren and Red Bull as soon as we have maximized the potential of our upgrades on the car.”

Ferrari still holds the second place in the constructors’ standings, but the reality is that with such performance, the Scuderia has no chance of catching Red Bull. And McLaren F1 might soon overtake the Reds. In the drivers’ standings, Charles Leclerc has been surpassed by Lando Norris and is now 105 points behind Max Verstappen.

Yet the Monegasque insists: he still believes in the title!

“I still believe that the highest goals can be achieved – which means the championship. Yes, I believe.”

“I think it’s important for me to maintain this optimism and keep my motivation at a very high level.”

At the end of the day, it’s just a matter of tenths…

“In the end, we’re talking about 0.2 seconds. Which, when you add it all up, isn’t that crazy. We need to focus on every detail and the season is still long, so I still believe.”

Charles Leclerc has identified a weak point for the Scuderia to improve: the qualifications.

“We have often had a car in the past that was very strong in qualifying but that, over the course of a race, destroyed the tires. We’re working and changing the trend – but now we’ve lost a bit of pace in qualifying.”

In these challenges, one man holds the helm and Charles Leclerc appreciates him greatly: Frédéric Vasseur, the team principal.

“Fred has two great strengths that are very important in F1 and particularly in a team like Ferrari, where the passion is so strong that in good times there are a lot of emotions; but there are also very strong emotions when we are going through a difficult period.”

“In F1, it’s necessary to be as emotionally balanced as possible, and Fred really is.”

“When we go through very tough times, he helps the team return to a reasonable level and not be too disappointed. And it’s exactly the same when we win; he doesn’t get too optimistic and brings us back to reality by telling everyone that we need to work because it’s just one race.”

Is Hamilton’s signing an opportunity for Leclerc?

Next year, even if the Ferrari is the best car, Charles Leclerc, if he wants to be champion, will have to beat a formidable teammate: Lewis Hamilton himself.

Isn’t Lewis’s arrival also a bad signal to the Monegasque? As if Ferrari thought that they needed a seven-time world champion to finally be crowned?

“Not at all! Because Ferrari is Ferrari. And it needs the best drivers in its cars. So, for the benefit of Ferrari, it’s perfectly understandable.”

“For me, it’s an incredible opportunity. First, to learn from the most successful driver of all time. And to prove myself against Lewis, who is a benchmark for everyone.”

“For me, I see nothing negative in it, because it’s Lewis Hamilton.”

Does Charles Leclerc feel capable of beating Lewis Hamilton next year?

“I need to be convinced that I am the fastest driver when I put on the helmet, but I really look forward to it, and it will be very interesting for me.”

“I’ve always said that you learn from every teammate you have throughout your career. When I look at how he drives – because we always watch each other and the data – you really don’t see any weaknesses. And that’s where Lewis is incredible. He only has strong points.”

“So I’m really looking forward to seeing how he works with his engineers, the feedback and all those things, to learn and become better.”