Ferrari Boss Delivers Verdict on Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz’s Future as Underwhelming Season Casts Shadow of Doubt

The Abu Dhabi GP and the 2023 Formula 1 season ended only a few days ago. And even though there haven’t been any major talking points for the silly season this year, that hasn’t stopped speculations from arising. Naturally, along with some credible rumors, there have been quite a few baseless ones floating around as well. This was especially the case with Ferrari. The Maranello side had an underwhelming year (although it is important to note that it wasn’t as bad as 2020), leading to rumors about both their drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, looking elsewhere for 2024. 

Yes, they had an underwhelming season, but it was definitely not as bad as it was put out to be. The Scuderia finished P3 in the Constructors’ Championship and P5 and P7 in the Drivers’ Championship. Moreover, Sainz emerged as the only non-Red Bull winner this season. Abu Dhabi also marked the completion of Frederic Vasseur’s first year as Team Principal, and they managed to fight Mercedes for P2 until the last lap. Even so, there were doubts about the Ferrari drivers’ futures at the team, and now, the verdict’s out.  

Per a tweet by @formularacers_, John Elkann confirmed the driver lineup for the ’24 season. According to the Ferrari Chairman, both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz “will certainly continue with Ferrari.” It is important to note that both the drivers were already in contract with Ferrari, making the rumors about them leaving nothing more than just that. Rumors.

That being said, both drivers would have had enough reason to look elsewhere. Carlos Sainz is often treated as the second driver, while Charles Leclerc often gets caught in the middle of mediocre strategy calls and poor communication with Xavi, his race engineer. Despite all the speculations, the driver pairing will continue with the Maranello side for at least one more season. 

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Elkann’s “confirmation” has come at a time when things are also looking somewhat bright for Ferrari, especially looking ahead into the 2024 season. At least, that’s what Frederic Vasseur feels.

Positive signs ahead for Ferrari

While it might seem like failing to secure P2 in the Constructors’ Championship would have dampened the Scuderia’s confidence, Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur disagrees. He thinks the overall confidence within the factory and the drivers would have skyrocketed after that close of a finish with Mercedes. “In the next season, the project will not be upset. Many details in which we need to improve will have to be taken care of better,” he told Tuttosport. “In the last eight weekends, we have done well, and if we think about how far we were from Mercedes until a few months ago, the confidence for next year will grow.”

Looking forward to 2024, Vasseur feels that taking the fight to Red Bull in the last few races points to positive signs. “Being able to finish fighting with Red Bull is positive.” Explaining the battle between Ferrari and Mercedes in Abu Dhabi, Vasseur said, “With Leclerc, we let Perez go to close the gap with Russell for second place. As constructors, we didn’t succeed, but there were some very positive indications. We haven’t always had a simple car to drive, and this certainly created some problems in terms of confidence at the beginning of the season.”

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With positive signs for the Ferrari bunch ahead, do you think they’ll be competitive in 2024? Can the Scuderia give Red Bull a run for its money?