F1 pundit perplexed by Charles Leclerc’s ‘game’ as he reinforces Ferrari commitment without ruling out Mercedes switch

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert cannot understand Charles Leclerc's recent comments about his F1 future.

F1 pundit perplexed by Charles Leclerc’s ‘game’ as he reinforces Ferrari commitment without ruling out Mercedes switch

Johhny Herbert (Image via PlanetF1), Charles Leclerc (Image via ItalPassion.fr)

Charles Leclerc is considered a potential F1 world champion. The Monegasque driver was signed by Ferrari in 2019 and was given the longest contract for any Scuderia driver. However, there have been questions regarding his future in the sport . There are rumors of Leclerc switching to Mercedes. But he reinstated his commitment to Ferrari. Leclerc did not rule out a future at Brackley either.

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert is puzzled by the moves of the Monegasque driver. The 58-year-old was intrigued to see that Leclerc is keeping the door open for Mercedes in the future. However, Herbert considered this a game as the Briton could not understand why a driver would move to a less competitive team.

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He said, “This is got to be a little bit of a game. Why would you go somewhere that’s not going to give you what you need? Probably worse.” The F1 pundit found it hard to comprehend such a career move. Herbert is surprised that Charles would move to Mercedes which has struggled to match Ferrari since the new 2022 F1 regulations .

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A look at Charles Leclerc’s future in F1

Charles Leclerc pointing at the Ferrari logo after getting Pole at the Azerbaijan GP (Image via raceweek.com.au)
Charles Leclerc pointing at the Ferrari logo after getting Pole at the Azerbaijan GP (Image via raceweek.com.au)

Previously, the Monegasque driver was linked to a potential swap with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Many in the paddock believe that the 25-year-old has been in talks with the Silver Arrows for some time. But Charles brought an end to such a move for now. The 25-year-old is currently focused on achieving his goal to win the F1 championship with Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc has shown faith in the Scuderia in the last couple of rounds. He clinched pole position at the Azerbaijan GP and was happy with the team’s one-lap pace. Although, the Monegasque driver had an underwhelming race in Miami after crashing during Free Practice and Qualifying as well. Leclerc is currently working with Ferrari to help the team reduce the pace deficit to Red Bull.

Thus, Johnny Herbert remains baffled by Charles Leclerc’s current situation. The 58-year-old finds it confusing that the Monegasque driver is entertaining the possibility of switching to Mercedes. The Silver Arrows are behind Ferrari when it comes to the current pecking order. But they could pose a bigger challenge for Leclerc atleast in the short term.

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