Schumacher critical of Leclerc: 'This can't be like this forever'

Charles Leclerc hoped to advance to the top spot in Formula 1 in 2023. In reality, the Monegasque is having a difficult season. The Ferrari driver is behind his teammate Carlos Sainz - who won the Grand Prix in Singapore - in sixth place in the championship. Ralf Schumacher, a former F1 driver and current analyst, believes that Leclerc really needs to make serious steps in his career.

Leclerc has now spent five seasons racing for Ferrari, which has been a period with ups and downs. His first year with the Italians was especially hopeful, with two wins and seven poles, but a year later, there were no wins or a first starting spot. It was not until 2022 that Leclerc was competitive again, with three wins and no fewer than nine poles. This year, he seems back to square one; although he started first twice, Leclerc did not win. Meanwhile, Ferrari has to decide whether it wants to continue with the driver who came through from its own training. After all, his commitment expires after the 2024 season.

Leclerc at a crossroads

There are no signs that Ferrari wants to part with Leclerc after next season. Still, Ralf Schumacher feels that the Italian team should expect quite a bit more from their driver. "Leclerc is now a bit at a crossroads [of his career], I think," the pundit said in an interview on YouTube channel Formula1.de. "He has to look at himself now, because he can't be the eternal talent who may be super-fast but doesn't perform."

According to Schumacher, Carlos Sainz was even, for a while, the clear No 1 within Ferrari's team. The Spaniard is constant and fast, unlike Leclerc: "Charles wants to make the difference with all his might, then runs past himself and makes mistakes too. Sainz has everything more in line," Schumacher said.