Former Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has warned that Charles Leclerc may decide to leave the Scuderia if they are unable to provide him with a competitive car in the short term.
Speaking to Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper this week, Domenicali – who will take over from Chase Carey as the CEO of Formula One in just a few days – said:
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“If Leclerc has a competitive car in the short term, Ferrari has nothing to fear. Then they won’t lose him.”
However, if they have another poor season, “he could lose confidence and momentum just like that,” Domenicali warned.
In the same interview, he commented on Sebastian Vettel’s final year with Ferrari, describing it as a “tough” way for him to be let go by the Scuderia.
“For Vettel it was obviously a tough year. Imagine you are a four-time World Champion and even before the start of the season you hear that you will no longer be driving for the team next year. That’s terrible,” Domenicali added.
Carlos Sainz will replace Vettel at Ferrari in 2021, while the German will join the newly rebranded Aston Martin Racing team.
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