“Was Driving Around on His Own”: One Man Army Charles Leclerc Receives Moral Support Despite Far From Flawless Season

With two race victories in the first three races, the Ferrari team got off to a strong start to the season. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was still in the lead, but the French Grand Prix saw a turning moment that cost him the lead, and the rest is history. Having said that, ex-driver and current analyst David Coulthard discusses the season of 2022 that he believes was the tipping point.

Red Bull was ruthless this season, taking advantage of Mercedes and Ferrari’s misfortunes to win the double title, but it wasn’t as easy as it might have appeared. For the majority of the season, the Austrian outfit didn’t have the fastest vehicle, but it was Max Verstappen‘s genius that allowed him to finish nearly 150 points clear of the Monegasque. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were both in the running for the championship, but their turning points didn’t happen at the same time.

After Leclerc wrecked in the French Grand Prix while in the lead, Verstappen started to think that the title race would go in his favor. The Ferrari driver, though, persisted in his belief for a little while longer. For him, he thought that he could not be passed after Verstappen’s commanding overtaking victory at Spa-Francorchamps. Many had their opinion for the pivotal moment of the campaign, but the turning point for David Coulthard occurred at Paul Ricard. In addition to the Ferrari driver’s accident, the team’s poor communication was another contributing factor.

Coulthard’s words might have given some moral support to the Monegasque as, while conversing with Formule1.nl, he said, “It was a kind of indication that Leclerc was driving around on his own. A team that is confident also gives confidence back to the driver. If you ask a lot of questions, you create doubt. That gave us an insight into how the team was not the unit it could have been.” [Translated via Google]

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Max Verstappen only received a token title challenge this season from Charles Leclerc. However, the Dutch champion took the insurmountable lead following the key turn in the French GP race. Charles Leclerc knew who to blame before everyone else.

Charles Leclerc admits full liability for the French GP accident

The Maranello-based team, which had an outstanding start to the season, suffered a setback because it was plagued by various issues in the second part of the season, including driver failure, reliability issues, and strategic errors. Verstappen defeated Leclerc with an amazing 146 points as a result of these issues. Charles Leclerc is also the first to recognize the culprit for the error that led to the championship being decided.

Monegasque made his season’s most egregious mistake at the French Grand Prix, when, despite having a commanding lead, he lost control of his car and crashed. He hit the tire wall and was found yelling at the radio, displaying his genuine sadness.

Charles Leclerc stated during an interview with Race that he is to blame for the “Pivotal” title Deciding Error. He said, “The toughest moments for me are always my own mistakes because I’m always very harsh with myself and whenever I make a mistake, I always take it in a worse way compared to when it’s somebody else’s.”

“Speaking about my mistakes, yes, I made a mistake in France. This one was a costly one because I was obviously in the lead but it happens,” the Monegasque concluded.

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Despite a turbulent season, the Ferrari managed to finish in second place. With the new team manager in place, do you anticipate that Frederic Vasseur’s alliance with Ferrari will provide significant gains for the Monegasque in the upcoming campaign?