Charles Leclerc Showed Michael Schumacher-esque Flaws at Styrian GP: Brawn

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s splendid comeback drive on Sunday earned him high praise and driver of the day from the fans. But the driver called the race ‘bittersweet,’ as he started from P7 and dropped back after colliding with Pierre Gasly. But Leclerc was able to finish P7 behind his teammate.

Formula1 managing director Ross Brawn also named Charles Leclerc as his driver of the day. He praised the pace of the Monegasque driver around the Red Bull Ring. But with all the praise, Brown mentioned how Leclerc reminds him of the great Michael Schumacher in one not-so-good aspect.

Watch Story: Insane Michael Schumacher Records That Lewis Hamilton Hasn’t Broken Yet

Leclerc needs to keep his wits when in lower positions: Ross Brawn

In his column on Formula1.com, Brawn stated that Leclerc is getting frustrated in the midfield; Charles knows he is a strong driver, and Brawn believes he needs to change his mentality to get back to the front of the grid.

“When you have won races, and are as a good a driver as Charles is, you do get frustrated when you’re back in the pack rather than being at the front of the grid,” said Brawn.

He also compared the struggles of Leclerc to Schumacher’s. “I always remember Michael had far more accidents in the middle of the pack than he had in the front–it’s inevitable, really. That sounds an obvious thing, but there are people who consistently race in the middle of the pack who don’t have accidents,” said Brawn.

In the end, he just gave a simple piece of advice to the young driver, “He has got to keep his wits about him when he’s in the lower positions. It is a lot busier. Given he knows how strong he is, a moderately conservative approach needs to be considered. “

Read More: Charles Leclerc crashes in F1

Can Charles Leclerc guide Ferrari back to the top?

Leclerc is undeniably one of the best drivers in the current grid. He was able to drag his Ferrari to back-to-back pole positions this year in Monaco and Baku. He had a successful season in 2019, competing at the front of the grid on the regular and even clinching two race wins for Ferrari.

But the Italian team have been struggling since the beginning of 2020. They finished sixth in the championships last year, and while they have fielded a much more competitive car this year, it’s still not enough to bring them to the front of the grid.

Do you think Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz can help Ferrari move up the ladder this year? Let us know in the comments.