Much to the relief of Charles Leclerc, Ferrari thankfully ended the season in strong fashion, somewhat surprisingly, given how woeful they’ve been over recent rounds.
The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi appeared to suit the F1-75 better than the last several rounds, with the Italians having then boasted a Ferrari 1-2-3 in the post-season test.
In the main event on Sunday, though, Leclerc successfully claimed second in the Drivers’ Championship after a strategic “masterclass” by the Maranello-based team, something which came as a shock to the Italians fanbase.
As well as second in the Drivers’, Ferrari safely sealed second in the Constructors’, marking what can be deemed as a successful season.
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Despite this, there is growing speculation that Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto will be sacked by the side over the winter, following a number of high-profile strategic errors.
Leclerc in a recent interview admitted that he doesn’t “comment” on large matters like the potential of Binotto being sacked, but that everyone needs to be on the “same wavelength”.
“I’ve learned not to think about it and not to comment,” Leclerc told L’Equipe.
“But generally the best approach is for everyone to be on the same wavelength to make the right decisions together.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean changing people, but it’s about the way communication works between engineers, which needs to be clearer,” he added.
Ferrari’s downfall mid-season is without a shadow of a doubt one of the stories of the season, especially given that Leclerc won two of the opening three races.
During the middle of the season especially, Ferrari simply made too many strategic errors, which, quickly took Leclerc out of title contention.
Binotto does admit that Ferrari “made mistakes” this season, but that hopefully they made the “right decision” by deciding to switch their focus to 2023 earlier than their rivals.
“Yes, we made mistakes, but you can hide that better if you have a fast and reliable car,” the Italian insisted.
“Red Bull had a clearer path because they only had to reduce the weight of the car,” Binotto added.
“For us it was more difficult because we had to improve the aerodynamic concept.
“Did we make the right decision with our priorities between 2022 and 2023? Only 2023 will tell us if it was the right decision.”
Whilst he might be disappointed to have missed out on the title by some margin, second is still an excellent achievement for Leclerc, given that it’s the highest he’s ever finished.
But does he need to move elsewhere to go one position higher?
Leclerc is contracted to Ferrari until 2024, meaning he isn’t going anywhere in the near future; however, the Monegasque driver refuses to rule out a move to another team once his contract expires.
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“2024 is far away,” said Leclerc.
“I have some time left with Ferrari.
“This team has always been my dream. My goal for the moment is to win with Ferrari, then we’ll see. I’m happy here and I want to win with them.”