F1 Today - Leclerc told he is not a championship contender while Red Bull have a 'good problem'
Photo: Race Pictures
Kieran is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs and feature content across the F1 calendar. An NQJ-qualified journalist with more than a decade of experience, he has previously written for publications including MailOnline, the Manchester Evening News and the Eastern Daily Press.
From Charles Leclerc being told he can be a "great asset" for Lewis Hamilton rather than mount his own title challenge to Red Bull being told they have a "good problem on its hands" amid Max Verstappen rumours, GPblog recaps the best news of the day from the world of Formula 1.
Leclerc not a championship contender
Speaking on Formula1.com, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer stated that Leclerc is not a championship contender this season, despite his victory at the British Grand Prix. He believes the Monegasque though could be a "great asset" for Ferrari in a potential Hamilton title charge.
He said: "Of course Kimi Antonelli should have won the British Grand Prix, were it not for his damage so it’s not like Charles has just blown the competition away. Lewis Hamilton found himself less happy with his Ferrari too for the Grand Prix part of the weekend.
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"It doesn’t take away though that this was the best we’ve seen from Leclerc all season and there was a key initiator with this new set up direction that seems to have brought him back to life. Whether or not he can carry that into Spa remains to be seen, but it certainly looks encouraging.
"I still maintain that Charles is too far back in the championship to mount a title challenge, but you never know, and having him back on his best form can only be a great asset to his team and particularly Lewis Hamilton in his own fight."
Red Bull has a "good problem" on their hands
Photo: Race Pictures
Amid ongoing speculation surrounding Max Verstappen's future, former Red Bull driver David Coulthard believes the team a "good problem" on its hands with Formula 2 rookies Nikola Tsolov making impressive strides this season.
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Tsolov leads the Formula 2 drivers' standings after claiming three successive victories, with Coulthard stating his belief that the Bulgarian star is the next in line for promotion to Formula 1 through the Red Bull junior programme.
Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, the former McLaren and Red Bull driver explained: "It's a good problem to have. I guess there's always a possibility if they're happy with the others, they could help position him somewhere else."
He continued: "Red Bull is ahead of the game in terms of their motorsports investment and drivers over the history of time, if you look at what they've invested and now what the valuations are. I don't think they're thinking 'we're getting to the limit of what we can afford to invest in this'."
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