While Red Bull is the only one that comes under the gun for having a No.1 driver, almost every top team has an unsaid No.1 driver. In Ferrari’s case, it’s Charles Leclerc. However, Carlos Sainz has stepped up this season and is the leading Ferrari driver in the championship. Now, days after Charles Leclerc’s $204 million contract took a backseat, the Monegasque was urged to get his mojo back as the fight against Carlos Sainz rages.
Carlos Sainz was uncontainable at the Monza GP. The Spaniard snatched the pole off of Max Verstappen and looked like the fastest driver over 1 lap pace throughout the weekend. Had it not been for the tire degradation, Sainz could’ve easily taken the fight to Max Verstappen for the win. Nonetheless, he was able to keep his teammate Charles Leclerc behind and ended up on the podium.
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While there’s no doubt about Leclerc’s ability, questions are now being raised about his form. Tom Clarkson talked about Charles Leclerc losing his mojo and how it might affect his new contract. The Monegasque is believed to be offered a new 5-year deal with Ferrari worth $204,000,000. However, both the parties involved advised that the contract isn’t a priority at the moment.
According to the F1 Nation podcast, Tom Clarkson said, “I feel that his head has dropped in recent races and he just needs to get his mojo back and prove that he is still that man. He’s got a year left on his contract but he needs to start talking to his team about a new contract and I’d just like to see him drive with the same confidence we’ve seen.”
Read More: “I Want to Be Like Fernando Alonso”: How Carlos Sainz’s Innocent Wish Paved Way for His F1 Career
Is Charles Leclerc’s drop-in form the reason why the contract is advised not to be a priority? Whatever it may be, Leclerc really needs to step up his game and take the fight to Carlos Sainz. Former Ferrari boss recently opened up about why Leclerc has seemed to be out of touch this season.
Peter Windsor on why Charles Leclerc isn’t delivering this season
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Tom Clarkson, before getting into Leclerc being out of contract, advised how the Monegasque is in the same league as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Peter Windsor advised the same thing as he explained that Leclerc’s inability to compete with them is what is causing him to make more mistakes and eventually the reason behind him seeming to be out of touch.
Peter Windsor advised, “Leclerc’s benchmark is racing at the top with Max and Lewis. When he’s not in that situation, he doesn’t really seem to care much about anything other than just trying to get back into that situation. That’s possibly why we see him making more mistakes and doing weird things, because he’s just desperate to get where he wants to be.”
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Watch this Story: Charles Leclerc’s Hopeful Mission: Reviving Ferrari Despite Massive Gap!
What do you think about Charles Leclerc’s situation?