In his usual Tuesday article for the Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera, former Scuderia Ferrari driver Jean Alesi analyzed the main events of the 2023 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, focusing particularly on the situation within the Maranello team. The former French driver disagrees with the many criticisms aimed at Charles Leclerc following the turbulent pit stop he was involved in during the early stages of the race. On the contrary, he believes that the responsibility for the slow pit stop lies with the pit wall and the Italian team’s box. Below are his thoughts.
Alesi: “I don’t agree with the criticisms of Charles Leclerc. Regarding the pit stop…”
“There are those who criticize Charles Leclerc for his unfortunate performance in the Netherlands. Let me say this upfront: I don’t agree,” Jean Alesi begins. He then explains the reason for his statement: “Charles remains a crucial figure for Ferrari both today and tomorrow, and to think – inside or outside Maranello – that he bears some responsibility for this negative phase is wrong and damaging if we want to protect a true asset. A champion always seeks improvement, even when the car he’s driving shows limitations.”
“They did it at Zandvoort with both Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen, pushing in difficult conditions. There’s a difference with Leclerc, and that’s the calmness, the state of mind that Charles has lost. Did he return to the box abruptly to change tires? Well, but there wasn’t much sun: it was raining heavily, and the track was waterlogged. So, I see no surprise. A team, with that weather, in my opinion, should be ready to change tires at any moment,” observes the Frenchman, essentially criticizing the Maranello team’s performance in the Dutch Grand Prix.
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He concludes by writing: “I hope that Charles Leclerc finds a healthy optimism at Monza, although I see it as difficult, given the number of well-equipped rivals, including Williams, for example, which I didn’t think could represent a problem for Ferrari’s drivers this year.”
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