Charles Leclerc desperate to at least ‘finish a race’ with Ferrari in 2023
Charles Leclerc is 10th in the drivers championship standings after the first three rounds of the 2023 F1 season.
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Charles Leclerc. Image via The Mirror.
Charles Leclerc, the strong championship contender of the 2022 Formula 1 season, has set new goals for the 2023 season. It has been a rough start to the new year. The Ferrari driver left the season opener, the Bahrain Grand Prix, disheartened. Leclerc was chasing the Red Bull duo when his Ferrari lost power. He finished 7th in the second round, at the Saudi Arabian GP after taking a 10-place grid penalty.
The third round was no better for the Monegasque driver. He faced another retirement. Leclerc now has 6 points and stands 10th in the 2023 F1 drivers championship standings. He retired from 2 out of the three races held so far. Last season was the opposite, the 25-year-old collected 68 points and had two race wins in the first three races of 2022.
Charles Leclerc spoke about his new targets to while speaking to the media including. “I think instead of thinking long-term targets, I think just finishing a race without any penalties or issues or whatsoever is a priority. Then take the momentum and see what’s possible.” Last season, Ferrari had hoped to fight for the championship. But, due to poor strategy and reliability issues, the team failed to make it.
Charles Leclerc hopes to win a championship with Ferrari
Ferrari admitted that they would bring updates to their car to close the gap with Red Bull. Carlos Sainz revealed that the team needs to change its car concept to fit the issues and bring performance. Leclerc, on the other hand, is hoping their setup changes in the practice sessions would pay off over the course of the season.
Charles Leclerc explained, “I wouldn’t go as far as Carlos. But still, it’s clear that we need to improve the car. I will wait and see because I think could be very interesting. What we see during this race, having changed quite a bit of things in terms of setup, I think it’s been beneficial for our race pace.” A dejected Leclerc wants to be patient and trusts his team. On many occasions, Leclerc mentioned that his goal is to win a championship with Ferrari. His love for the team is undeniable.
Charles Leclerc has lowered his expectations for the 2023 season. This is mainly due to the challenges he has faced so far. The Tifosi are counting on the young Monegasque to bring them a championship after a 16-year drought. It is still early in the season. There are 19 races to go. Ferrari might be able to turn things around.
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Sugantha Meena
(493 Articles Published)