Prominent motorsport journalist believes "Charles Leclerc is forced to stay at Ferrari"

Ferrari’s negative period continued at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona and slightly improved at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal.

Paolo Ciccarone, editor-in-chief of RMC Motori and prominent motorsport journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the world of motorsport, commented on Ferrari’s difficulties and how Charles Leclerc is forced to remain in Maranello.

After the Barcelona Grand Prix, Paolo Ciccarone, the managing editor of RMC Motori, spoke for the Pit Talk podcast. The Italian team did not achieve the expected results in the early races of the 2023 Formula One season. The renowned journalist discussed the Ferrari situation and their recent disappointments, as well as Fred Vasseur and Charles Leclerc being “forced” to stay in Maranello due to their recent performances.

“The idea that both drivers are tired was clearly seen after the Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc still has a contract to respect. Then, the real question is: ‘Where do you go?’ If you want to win, you don’t have many options at the moment. One possibility could be Red Bull, but they are already happily occupied, and they don’t want to create trouble at home. For example, look at Sergio Perez who says he wants to fight for the championship; see what he’s doing, and it’s already clear what’s happening. Mercedes, as long as they have those two dogs, Hamilton and Russell, there are few spaces available at the moment.” – the Italian journalist pointed out.

“So any ambition to try to change teams and fight for victory necessarily depends on first having an available spot in a top team, and secondly, all of this doesn’t happen before a couple of years. So he is condemned to stay where he is now. So either you win or you lose, but you do it all together, and right now they are losing.” – he added.

Later, attention turned to Ferrari’s new team principal, Fredrick Vasseur: “In qualifying, the car is fine, but put yourself in his shoes. What should he say? It’s about understanding that since the races are week after week, he doesn’t have time to come up with something. He always has to be optimistic, see the glass as half full, and make statements that keep morale up. Then I believe that as soon as the camera turns off, things change. You realize that he’s trying to do his best with what he has. He found himself in a more complicated situation than he expected when he accepted to go to Ferrari.” – Paolo Ciccarone concluded.