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“Not Mature Enough”: Charles Leclerc Given a Bitter Dose of Criticism by F1 Veteran Despite Ferrari’s Underperformance

Published 05/14/2023, 5:15 AM EDT

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After a fantastic performance at the Baku circuit, the Tifosi believed Charles Leclerc‘s bad luck had finally passed. However quickly it came to light, that isn’t the reality. The Monegasque encountered the same issue at turn 7 in both Practice 2 and Qualifying, making it challenging for him to finish on the podium. In the midst of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s complaints about the car’s grip, an F1 veteran has harshly criticized the 25-year-old.

After the first five rounds of the current campaign finished, the Prancing Horse remains in fourth place among constructors. Both Ferrari drivers had setbacks despite their best efforts to capitalize on the Miami GP. While Sainz received a 5-second time penalty after accelerating in the pit lane resulting in P5, Charles Leclerc did not fare much better, finishing the race in an unsatisfactory seventh place.

While the majority of analysts are seen pinning the blame for the failure on Ferrari management and the development team, it was Michael Schumacher’s brother, Ralf Schumacher, who was seen being extremely dismissive of the 25-year-old. The six-time GP winner believes that under Frederic Vasseur, Scuderia has performed well. The veteran has also seen certain developments that point to a bright future, but Sainz and Leclerc’s mistakes are hurting their chances.

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Schumacher published a piece for the Sky Germany website and wrote, “The car is not good, but it is better than what they say. One driver fails to brake at the pit entrance, while the other can barely complete a fast lap without crashing. A lot has happened since he took office. I think the biggest problem is the competitors. In my opinion, they are not balanced enough.”

Later, Schumacher criticized Leclerc for not having the maturity to embrace a championship as he added, “Through his mistakes, Leclerc shows that he is not mature enough or balanced enough to win a world title with Ferrari. And Sainz was 0.8 tenths behind Leclerc in one weekend. Honestly, I think Ferrari as a team is doing a better job at the moment than both of its drivers.”

After a challenging Miami GP, the Ferrari garage may be in an awful predicament. Shortly after criticism of Ferrari drivers from figures like Ralf Schumacher, another F1 analyst has come to light expressing concern for Ferrari, which is directly linked to the duo of Frederic Vasseur and Charles Leclerc. So what is the concern?

F1 analyst expresses concern over Ferrari’s troubles

Since the start of the year, Ferrari has come under heavy fire. It also appears to be rising after the Miami GP. Peter Windsor is the next to voice his displeasure with the Prancing Horse after Schumacher. The partnership between Leclerc and Vasseur, which he anticipated would produce better outcomes for Ferrari, is Windsor’s main concern. Vasseur, according to Windsor, ought to have stepped in to stop Leclerc from repeating his error in the quali.

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As per F1 Briefings, Windsor said, “I have to say, for me, I was disappointed with the whole Freddy Vassuer/Charles Leclerc tie-up in Miami and how it operated  or didn’t operate, really. It didn’t operate at all. And meanwhile, Carlos Sainz did a pretty good job again  very good job really.”

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While adding further, he said, “Obviously the tyres weren’t brilliant in certain parts – usual Ferrari story [of] tyre management – but on this occasion he was doing a better job than Charles Leclerc. And that’s a worry. That is a worry. Because if Freddy’s not going to be able to do something about Charles  and really get the best from Charles race in, race out – then Ferrari are in big trouble.”

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WATCH THIS STORY: What has become an Incessant Problem for Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz in Ferrari’s F1 Challenger?

In light of the aforementioned, do you believe Ferrari can recover and finish among the top three constructors?

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Written by:

Aditya Srivastava

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Aditya Srivastava is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of writing experience. He developed a keen interest in the sport after the unforgettable Abu Dhabi 2021 race. As a graduate of a premier institute, Aditya is committed to producing high-quality content that is engaging, informative, and accurate.
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Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai