Riccardo Patrese on Charles Leclerc: “He deserves a Ferrari title and will not leave”. Former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese believes Charles Leclerc will stay with Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc’s difficult 2025 with Ferrari

Charles Leclerc is likely experiencing his best season in Ferrari and in Formula 1, yet ironically, despite consistently top-level performances, the results have been far from flattering. The blame lies undoubtedly with the Ferrari SF-25, which began the season as a title contender but has dramatically underperformed, leaving many fans questioning how much longer the 27-year-old Monegasque’s patience with the Scuderia of Maranello will last. This is a concern also shared by former Italian driver Riccardo Patrese, who, in an interview with Adventure Gamers, expressed his personal belief and hope that Charles Leclerc will remain with Ferrari.

Riccardo Patrese speaks

“I believe Charles will stay in Maranello for the foreseeable future,” Patrese said, “because he deserves the chance to win the championship with them. I think Leclerc’s future is Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari! He knows every aspect of the Scuderia, even though he has a bit less experience than Lewis Hamilton. I hope, however, that they find a solution to be happier next year. Charles, of course, if he had a competitive and winning car, would be more than capable of aiming for the title, and there’s no doubt about that. We know he’s fast, but sometimes he makes mistakes because he’s trying to compensate for the car’s insufficient performance. He always pushes to the maximum, trying to get more out of the technical package than is possible. He’s a fighter, he’s hungry, and he’s frustrated because he hasn’t won enough.”

“Leclerc,” Riccardo Patrese adds, “already deserved a real chance to compete for the championship, but he hasn’t had one yet. So, naturally, his mood is different compared to Lewis. Certainly, I also think that Hamilton, with the right car, could return to being the Lewis of the past and win championships. Then we would see the true Hamilton. Charles, on the other hand, is still searching for the opportunity to win a World Championship. He has already collected some victories, but it’s the title that makes the difference for a driver. Every driver’s dream is to become a world champion. That’s the key difference between the two.” – the former Formula 1 driver concluded.