24 March 2023 , 10:36
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A former F1 driver has cast doubt on the future of Charles Leclerc at Ferrari as the problems continue to mount at the Scuderia.
Leclerc, second in the 2022 drivers' championship, was left seething after the season opener in Bahrain after being forced to retire with engine problems. And that was followed by a bleak weekend in Saudi Arabia, with the Monegasque man and teammate Carlos Sainz notably off the pace as they finished seventh and sixth respectively.
Leclerc was forced to start that race from 12th, after being handed a 10-place penalty for a third power unit change. And to exacerbate matters, chief car concept engineer David Sanchez has left for McLaren, with new Team Principle Fred Vasseur already said to be 'fed up' with matters.
Amid the crisis, ex-German driver Christian Danner, who raced 47 times in F1, has questioned whether Leclerc will now see out of the remainder of his contract - which expires at the end of 2024. And he cited a radio flare-up between the 25-year-old and team engineers in Jeddah as an indication that relations have broken down.
"For me these are indications," he told Speedweek. "Having to have such discussions in a race is unbelievable. Ferrari sixth and seventh in a race that the Italians had promised so much, that’s a total disaster."
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He added: "Leclerc is a young man who wants to be World Champion,” an ambition that already looks beyond him this year, as he lies 38 points off leader Max Verstappen. And the current gap in pace between Red Bull and the rest is unlikely to be breached in time for the Scuderia to mount any kind of serious challenge.
Leclerc was forced to retire in BahrainAnother former German driver in Ralf Schumacher has also weighed in. He believes the team are “suffering” from the “politics” of late owner Sergio Marchionne. The Italian, who died in 2007 aged 66, firmly believed in staff members compromising of Italians.
Current boss Vasseur breaks that mould, the Frenchman switching from Alfa Romeo last year to replace Mattia Binotto. But Schumacher doesn't believe he's yet in the position to inspire his team to a first F1 title since 2007.
“He learned motorsport from scratch, and he seems to have great social skills, who finds the right approach to get the maximum out of each employee, he told Auto Bild. “But I still don’t think they will be a World Championship candidate. Even though I would like it to be because of the tension.”