LeClerc is Still Making a Few Mistakes: Villeneuve

According to 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, Sebastian Vettel would try to eat Charles LeClerc alive if they are paired together in the future. For a long time, Leclerc has been tipped as Kimi Raikkonen’s potential replacement at Ferrari.

So far, Leclerc has had a successful maiden season in Formula 1. The 21-year-old has secured 13 points so far this year, with a best finish of sixth coming at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Raikkonen’s future in the sport is still a mystery, but Villeneuve thinks that he should stay. The Canadian said, “Of course, look at the work he has been doing,” he said on the Beyond The Grid podcast. “He’s third in the championship, he’s often quicker than Vettel, when he’s not he’s what, a tenth behind? He’s paramount in the development of the car.

“The whole team works fantastically well now, put a young cub next to Vettel; What will Vettel do? He’ll try to eat him alive. And either he will destroy the young cub, or it’ll end in tears and  the whole team will end up going slower within two years, so that’s not constructive.”

There were suggestions that Leclerc could get the Ferrari seat as soon as next season. However, Villeneuve thinks that it is too soon for him to race with the Maranello outfit:  “Not for one more year, no,” he said. “Charles is still making a few mistakes, it would be great for Leclerc. It would be amazing for him, but it would be two years of Ferrari preparing him.

“Ferrari is like Mercedes, it’s not a team to prepare drivers. It’s a top team. Top teams, they buy and they pay the drivers as when they’re at their best and when they want them. That’s why you have junior teams to prepare them.”