The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves. Charles Leclerc‘s dream of leading Ferrari to a championship seems to be fading as the 25-year-old discloses short-term targets and shies away from thinking long-term. The short-term targets, however, reveal the below-standard priorities set by Leclerc and Ferrari that are not expected from a title-challenging team. What exactly are Charles Leclerc’s targets?

The start of the 2023 F1 season has been a difficult one for Ferrari. The Maranello-based team had plans of fighting for the world championship. But here they are only 4th in the constructors, 97 points behind Red Bull who are leading with 123 points.

Charles Leclerc sets modest expectations from himself and Ferrari

The picture is even worse for Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque only has 6 points to his name. That too courtesy of a P7 finish at the Saudi Arabian GP. In the other two races, however, the number 16 Ferrari had to retire. A technical failure in Bahrain and a first-lap racing incident at the Australian GP.

Charles Leclerc’s frustration is visible in his interviews. The plans of fighting for the world title seem bleak to non-existent. Max Verstappen and Red Bull are way out of the league for anyone to catch up. Accordingly, Charles Leclerc has shifted his focus and expectations based on his performance and Red Bull’s pace. The Ferrari driver believes he needs to focus on finishing a race without any penalties or issues with the car. Once the team has achieved that, then they can go further depending on where the momentum takes them.

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According to Autosport.com, Charles Leclerc said, “I’m frustrated, obviously it’s the worst ever start of the season. I mean, only six points, so it’s frustrating.” He further added, “For now, instead of thinking about long-term targets, I think just finishing a race without any penalties or issues whatsoever is a priority. And then take the momentum and see what’s possible.”

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Charles Leclerc’s comments show how he is now settling for short-term goals rather than aiming for the title in the long term. It also highlights Ferrari’s below-par priority, whereas they should be targeting bringing the fight to Red Bull. Is reliability that big of an issue for Ferrari that they have to stop aiming for the title and focus on finishing races first? What caused Leclerc’s retirement in Australia?

What caused Charles Leclerc’s retirement from the Australian GP?

Leclerc got a decent enough start and was cautious into turns 1 and 2. However, while approaching turn three, Leclerc saw a gap on the outside of Lance Stroll who had Fernando Alonso on his inside. The Monegasque went for the gap but unfortunately, there wasn’t enough room for 3 cars. Due to under braking, Stroll clipped the rear tire of Leclerc, sending him into the gravel and ending his race.

According to Autosport.com, Charles Leclerc Said “In Turn 3, I honestly wasn’t really planning to do any overtakes there. But Lance had to slow down the car a lot while braking because Fernando had to, because of the cars in front. And so I saw that there was a gap on the outside. I went for it. Unfortunately, Fernando had to slow even more down the car towards the end of braking. Lance found himself between Fernando and myself and we had contact.”

Watch this story: Charles Leclerc Extends 6-Year Monaco GP Curse by Wrecking Iconic Lauda Ferrari Chassis

What do you make of Leclerc setting below-par expectations?