Alex Fiorio, former rally world champion and son of the legendary Cesare Fiorio, shared a bold opinion during an interview on the Full Gas Podcast, stating that in his view, Charles Leclerc will never become Formula 1 World Champion.
Monegasque racing driver Charles Leclerc has long had one clear goal throughout his motorsport career: to win the Formula 1 World Championship title driving for Scuderia Ferrari. Despite his talent and determination, this dream has remained unfulfilled, primarily due to a combination of factors — most notably the lack of consistent top-level performance from Ferrari’s Formula 1 cars in recent seasons. However, according to Alex Fiorio, the problem may also lie within the driver himself. Fiorio believes that Charles Leclerc will never secure the world title due to the number of driving errors he continues to make on track.
Speaking to the microphones of the Full Gas Podcast, Alex Fiorio — himself a respected figure in motorsport as a rally world champion and the son of Cesare Fiorio, the iconic former Ferrari team principal — did not mince words. He explained: “In my opinion, Charles Leclerc is an incredibly fast driver, and there’s no debating that. But I also believe he will never be a world champion because he simply makes too many mistakes.”
Fiorio went on to elaborate, adding: “People often criticize me when I say this. They’ll respond with comments like, ‘Yes, but that was just a mistake in Free Practice 1.’ But a mistake during FP1 can already compromise the entire work program planned for the weekend. It forces the team to divert its focus away from development to fix the car, and that has a negative impact on the whole weekend.”
Recurring mistakes with major consequences
Fiorio continued his argument by pointing out how even small errors can have larger ripple effects.
“These are small mistakes,” he said, “but they force the team to shift their attention away from improving the car’s performance. That’s a problem.”
He didn’t stop there. Fiorio also questioned Charles Leclerc’s ability to contribute to car development and setup, something that is vital in today’s Formula 1. He remarked:
“Improving the car is something that also comes from the driver. So if after seven years in Formula 1, Leclerc still hasn’t managed to win anything significant, maybe it’s time to start asking some serious questions.”
Alex Fiorio has always been known for his direct and candid style — a man who speaks his mind without filters. While his comments may seem harsh, they point to a broader issue that has haunted Scuderia Ferrari for over a decade.
It is likely that there is shared responsibility within Ferrari regarding the long drought of championship titles. The last time the Italian team won the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship was back in 2007 with Kimi Räikkönen, and their last Constructors’ Championship came in 2008. For a team of Ferrari’s stature and legacy, this prolonged absence from the top step of the podium is simply unacceptable.
At Maranello, the expectation is clear: finishing second is seen as failure. And with passionate Ferrari fans continuing to wait year after year, the pressure on both the team and drivers like Charles Leclerc continues to mount.
