Ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes moving to Aston Martin would be a “logical possibility” for Charles Leclerc, with seats at Red Bull and Mercedes not being available.
As a result of Ferrari currently being fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, some have wondered if the Monegasque would consider a move elsewhere, in an attempt to return to winning ways.
He was embarrassingly eliminated prior to Q3 again last weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix, as a result of yet further miscommunication with Ferrari.
Despite qualifying outside the top 10, Leclerc did well to finish fourth at the Circuit de Gilles-Villeneuve, where he demonstrated very strong race pace.
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It marked just his third top-five finish in 2023, something which seems almost unfathomable given that he claimed three wins last season.
Whilst he is contracted to Ferrari until the end of 2024, Schumacher has pondered whether Leclerc would move elsewhere, to obtain a stronger seat.
He has been linked already to Mercedes this season, following reports that he was holding secret conversations with the Silver Arrows.
This was quashed by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Leclerc, with there not set to be a seat at the Germans for a couple more seasons.
Red Bull is perhaps another option, should the Austrians sack Sergio Perez; however, it’s very unlikely that they’d approach the Monegasque.
That leaves Aston Martin, who arguably need a stronger driver than Lance Stroll alongside Fernando Alonso.
Stroll has finished ahead of Alonso just once this season, whilst he also failed to progress to Q3 at his home race last weekend.
Alonso has completely out-performed the Canadian, whose seat is surely at risk going forwards.
If Aston Martin want to win championships then they need two drivers capable of claiming consistent podiums, something Stroll simply isn’t able to do.
With that in mind, Schumacher thinks a move to the Silverstone-based team could be an option for Leclerc.
“So far, there have only been Mercedes and Red Bull as potential options,” Schumacher told Sky Deutschland.
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“Mercedes is not quite as current at the moment, and it’s safe to assume that Hamilton will continue there.
“But I believe a strong candidate is also Aston Martin, as they also need to look around. Fernando Alonso will have another year after that. Who knows, [Lawrence Stroll’s] son doesn’t fulfil the season goals, they may need to bring in another strong driver for the future, building alongside Fernando Alonso.
“Accordingly, that would be a logical possibility for Charles Leclerc, also considering the Honda partnership eventually.”