Leclerc goes for title in 2023: 'I know Elkann said something else'

Ferrari, which got off to a good start in 2022, had to adjust its expectations mid-season. The championship can still be achieved before 2026, according to Ferrari president John Elkann. Charles Leclerc has no patience for that and is aiming for next year.

Red Bull Racing has been so strong and consistent in 2022 after a somewhat difficult start to the season that it has dwarfed the competition. Ferrari, happy to finally be fighting for wins again, decided after the 2022 summer break that the title chances will only be there again from next year. Ferrari chief Elkann said it is realistic for the title to come to Ferrari before 2026, but that is still too vague for Leclerc. The Monegasque is setting his sights on a 2023 title.

Leclerc sets all out for 2023

Speaking to Motorsport.com the former challenger to Max Verstappen in 2022 says that for him, the title is all that matters. Had he known beforehand that he would take pole position nine times, win three races and be on the podium seven times, he would not have signed as long as it meant he would not be champion. The drive to do it in 2023 is therefore very high at the Ferrari driver.

For Leclerc, it became clear after the Belgium GP that the 2022 world title was no longer in the cards. So in the weeks that followed, after the Italian GP weekend, Ferrari bosses Elkann and Mattia Binotto came out with the message that it would no longer be possible in 2022, but that there were real chances of still doing it before 2026. Leclerc: "I know what Elkann said about the 2026 target, but as a driver I cannot think of such deadlines. I am very impatient and I will do everything I can to become world champion in 2023."