Charles Leclerc is crash-prone because he is overestimating his own capabilities, says David Coulthard

Charles Leclerc is under fire following his disastrous Miami GP performance

David Coulthard and Charles Leclerc via The Guardian

Charles Leclerc has faced criticism for his tendency to make errors on the track. This pattern of high error rates has persisted in the 2023 season. The most recent incident occurred during qualifying in Miami, where the Ferrari driver crashed again. These recurrent errors have attracted attention and scrutiny, highlighting the challenges Leclerc has been facing in maintaining consistent performance and avoiding on-track incidents.

Ex-driver turned pundit David Coulthard has criticized Leclerc’s frequency of mistakes. Speaking to Channel 4, he said, “It’s an eyesore on his CV. He’s brilliantly fast, he gets a lot out of the car. But he makes too many mistakes and the collateral damage is too great. He drives with an air of desperation and beyond his own capabilities.”

David Coulthard believes that Ferrari is unlikely to dismiss Charles Leclerc despite his occasional mistakes on the track. This is because he is recognized as the driver who has the ability to extract maximum performance from the car. Despite his errors, Leclerc possesses exceptional talent and has demonstrated his capabilities by delivering strong performances.

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Ferrari values his skill set and believes that he has the potential to achieve great results when he minimizes his errors. Rather than parting ways with him, the team will likely focus on providing support and guidance to help him refine his skills and reduce the frequency of mistakes.

Why is Charles Leclerc crashing so often?

Leclerc’s 2023 season got off to a challenging start with several crashes, including two incidents on turn seven at the Miami Grand Prix. These crashes have negatively affected his performance and results. It is evident that there is a need for improvement to address the issues leading to these incidents.

However, there are viable reasons that could explain his tendency to lose control of the car this season. For example, his driving coach believes Leclerc’s crashes can be attributed to his aggressive driving style and desire to match the dominant Red Bull team’s performance. By pushing the SF23 car to its limits, Leclerc takes on higher risks, resulting in occasional errors and accidents on the track. While his determination and ambition are commendable, he needs to balance pushing hard and maintaining control to avoid crashes and achieve more consistent results.

His own harshest critic ?️

Charles Leclerc will come back fighting on Sunday following his qualifying crash #MiamiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/rnMgIdib4Y
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 7, 2023

Additionally, it could be possible that the Monegasque is struggling to work in harmony with the SF-23. Ferrari has continually reported inconsistencies with their car, and his proclivity for incidents could stem from a lack of control and being unaware of the limit to which the car can be pushed in an effort to maximize results.

Analyzing the causes and making necessary adjustments will be crucial for Leclerc to enhance his performance, minimize errors, and achieve more consistent and successful outcomes in future races.