Speaking to automoto.it, the Italian — best known for helping Niki Lauda escape the fireball after his horrific Nürburgring Nordschleife crash in 1976 — commented as follows: “Leclerc ended up occupying a seat at Ferrari that, at the time, he simply didn’t deserve. He’s a very good driver, like many others. If you put a bunch of names in a hat and pick one out, they’re all much the same. He’s not special.”

The Monegasque clearly came out on top against a legend like Lewis Hamilton this season, securing all seven of the team’s podium finishes as well as its only pole position of the year in Hungary.

That, however, is not relevant according to Merzario: “Boasting about being ahead of a seven-time world champion like Hamilton makes little sense, when in reality Lewis has taken his foot off the gas because he doesn’t feel integrated within the team. Why would he ever give 110% in those circumstances?”

He finally added: “If Enzo Ferrari were still around, he wouldn’t have even made it through the gates of Maranello — I’m certain of that. He wouldn’t even have been welcomed as a customer.”

The Monegasque is set to begin his eighth season at Maranello — a pivotal campaign for his hopes of finally fulfilling his dream of becoming world champion with Ferrari.

Leclerc knows he is no longer a youngster and that he wants to win now, especially given that drivers from his own generation, such as Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, have already managed to secure a world title ahead of him.