The Italian media has not held back in its criticism of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc after his crash at the French Grand Prix last weekend.
Leclerc started on pole in Le Castellet after a superb qualifying performance, and he had been keeping Max Verstappen at bay until he lost control of the F1-75 and crashed out while leading.
It handed the victory to Verstappen, who now leads the Monegasque by 63 points in the Drivers’ Standings.
The Dutchman has been extremely consistent this season, making only two errors in Miami and Barcelona – he won both of those races anyway.
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It is for that reason that, according to Corriere dello Sports, Verstappen will retain his crown this year.
“No one is perfect but the title always goes to the one who makes the fewest mistakes,” they said.
They also indicated that there is an indecision on the part of Leclerc that filters through the team and prevents them from winning races.
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“Leclerc’s insecurity is also becoming an issue for the entire team, because while an insecure champion can be a great driver, he will not be a great leader,” the Italian paper continued.
“Verstappen has a huge advantage now and is confidently heading for his second title.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport affirms that Leclerc will eventually learn from Verstappen in that the Dutchman has made plenty of mistakes since the start of his career in 2015, but he has matured into a magnificent driver since then.
“To become a champion, you can’t make these mistakes,” they explained.
“Verstappen learned from mistakes in the past and became a flawless driver over time. Now Leclerc is on that path.”