Charles Leclerc has not ruled out a future move from Scuderia Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc, who has a long-term contract until 2024, admits the 2022 season was ‘up and down’ for Ferrari.
Still, 25-year-old Charles Leclerc told France’s L’Equipe that “going all out can make mistakes”.
Those mistakes have now sparked rumors that team principal Mattia Binotto could be ousted.
“I learned not to think about it or comment on it,” continues Charles Leclerc.
“But generally the best approach is to have everyone on the same wavelength making the right decisions.”
“It doesn’t necessarily mean changing people, but it’s about the mechanics of communication between engineers and needs to be made clearer.”
Mattia Binotto said the important thing is that Ferrari has made progress between 2021 and 2022.
“Obviously we made a mistake, but when you have a fast and reliable car you can hide it well,” insisted Mattia Binotto.
“Red Bull had a clear path and they just needed to reduce the weight of the car.”
“For us it was more difficult because we had to improve the aero concept.”
“Did we prioritize and make the right decisions between 2022 and 2023? Only in 2023 will we know if it was the right decisions.”
Some noted that Charles Leclerc ended the season in a bad mood, but others suggested that he was perhaps envious of Max Verstappen as Red Bull’s undisputed number one.
Charles Leclerc was expected to be a driver who could carry Ferrari on his back, but he was never prioritized by team owners.
Asked if Ferrari lacked a driver hierarchy, Leclerc said: “That’s something I personally cannot control.”
“So I want to focus on the things I can control, like my driving. Those things are handled internally if I feel I need to.”
Some have concluded that these comments may sound like Charles Leclerc is open-minded about leaving Ferrari once his current long-term contract expires.
“2024 is still a long way off,” said Charles Leclerc, hinting at the length of his current contract.
“There’s still time left with Ferrari.”
“This team has always been a dream of mine. My immediate goal is to win with Ferrari. Then we’ll see what happens. I’m happy here and I want to win with them. ”
Category: F1 / Charles Leclerc / Ferrari