Leclerc gets support: 'It also happened with Lauda, Prost, Villeneuve'

Charles Leclerc made a painful mistake in France when he suddenly lost control of the car and crashed out as the race leader. It meant no points for the Monegasque, while rival Max Verstappen ended the weekend winning. Piero Ferrari, however, continues to support the driver.

The son of founder Enzo Ferrari is impressed with the way Leclerc is showing this season. While it is the first time that the driver has intervened in a championship battle, he is still able to compete well with the Dutchman.

That Leclerc took himself out of the race last Sunday, Ferrari can understand. "Even champions make mistakes. And that's not a cliché," Ferrari stated to the Italian Quotidiano Nazionale. "Schumi, who made the history of our brand, was sometimes not perfect. It also happened with Lauda, Prost, Gilles Villeneuve."

Ferrari proud of its own performance

It does mean, however, that the championship battle is far from intense. The difference between Verstappen and Leclerc in the world championship has increased to 63 points, which means that the reigning world champion can easily drop out of two races.

Ferrari, on the other hand, believes it is important to emphasise the steps the Italians have taken. "As a company we are proud of what our racing department has achieved so far. We came out of a difficult period. Now we have a car that can drive on any circuit. Of course there are things to improve and details to refine."