2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button remains sympathetic to Charles Leclerc as things take a turn for the worst.
After the Miami GP, the former World Champion stated:
“He probably does take more risk than most and he has even said that in qualifying, but he has also put it on pole position when we didn’t think they had a chance over the Red Bull, so it is a tricky one.
“We are always going to pick him up on what just happened. I like how he goes racing, I like how he puts everything on the line.”
For Leclerc, a five-time race winner, frustrations are understandable. Last season the driver finished runner-up to Max Verstappen, but his season was plagued with misfortune rather than driver errors.
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However, this season has seen a rise in driver errors, with Leclerc often over-performing. His eagerness to win is unquestionable and the belief that he can win a World Championship courses through him.
There is no denying the potential of this driver. But if frequent mistakes continue to hinder performances, times will only get tougher for his Ferrari team.
Martin Brundle believes Leclerc is equally at fault
Formula 1’s Martin Brundle took to Sky Sports to voice his concerns over the poor form of last year’s runner-up. Brundle insisted that Leclerc’s mistakes are “holding back” the team and himself.
Brundle went on to conclude:
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“Ferrari are struggling for race pace and a distant fifth and seventh was a poor result for them.
“Leclerc must stop crashing his car, it’s holding him and the team back.
“There are always knock-on effects during a race weekend from those incidents, and he needed a new aero underfloor after the qualifying crash which may have contributed to the bouncing and issues he reported in the race.
“He is unbelievably fast and committed, and he can afford to trade a fraction of that to build a better race weekend, and so a better season.”
The Imola GP beckons, but will the Ferrari driver silence the critics and prove his championship worth?