Crash-prone Charles Leclerc ‘not worthy of a world championship’, reckons F1 pundit

Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel is confident that Charles Leclerc's recent driving shows that he is no longer deserving of an F1 title.

Crash-prone Charles Leclerc ‘not worthy of a world championship’, reckons F1 pundit

Charles Leclerc, image via The Race

Charles Leclerc is one of the promising talents in Formula 1. The Monegasque driver has showcased his pace time and time again. However, the 25-year-old hasn’t had smooth sailing in 2023, with his season riddled with incidents. Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel believes that Leclerc will have to improve his performance if he really wants to win the F1 world title.

The 51-year-old grew tired of the Monegasque driver’s string of incidents in recent times. Charles Leclerc has binned his car on several occasions in the past, including twice at the same corner in Miami this season. The Dutchman believed Leclerc had simply been too inconsistent to be considered a potential F1 world champion.

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Tom said, “When I see how many mistakes he makes ( Leclerc ) lately, I don’t think that’s possible for someone who should be world champion.” The 25-year-old is highly regarded in the F1 paddock, with Ferrari giving the Monegasque the longest contract in its history. Leclerc was rumored to be interested in switching to Mercedes, although he has refuted such claims.

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Charles Leclerc needs to improve in 2023

Charles Leclerc at the F1 Australian GP
Charles Leclerc at the F1 Australian GP, image via News18

Leclerc has matched Red Bull on a one-lap pace on several instances. The Monegasque driver clinched Pole position at the Azerbaijan GP, albeit after crashing into the wall on his final run. On the other hand, Ferrari has defended Charles for his racing this season, with his driver coach insisting that the 25-year-old is trying to make up for the pace deficit.

The Monegasque driver was the runner-up in the 2022 F1 championship after a good start early in the year. But the momentum shifted towards Max Verstappen over the course of the season as Ferrari failed to match Red Bull. Leclerc, too had a few errors while trying to race under pressure, including his infamous crash at the French GP.

Thus, Tom Coronel has clarified that a Dutchman believes Charles Leclerc is no longer worthy of winning the F1 title. The Monegasque driver needs to improve his game and reduce his errors to keep his worth on the grid. However, it remains to be seen if the 25-year-old can improve his driving over the course of this season.

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