During the spring break, as was to be expected given Ferrari's disastrous start, there was a lot of discussion about the future of the team and Charles Leclerc, whose contract expires in 2024. On the eve of the 2023 season, the young Monegasque hoped to be able to count on a car that would allow him to fight for the title, as in the initial phase of last year. However, the situation has gradually turned out to be more and more complex and when things go wrong some certainties begin to disappear. In this case, the certainty that led Charles to cross the gates of Maranello stems from his deep love for Ferrari. But love is ruthless, you know. There are ups and downs and everything can change. We ourselves end up changing in a relationship.
No one would like to see a rider who has put so much of himself into the team over the years go away. However, the fans are wondering if this great love will be enough to keep the precious jewel from Maranello or if the road will lead him to other horizons.
An uphill road
The SF-23 has obvious limitations and the road is all uphill. Charles in the first three races has collected only 6 points. Too thin a loot. “The first three races were a disaster for me but I think these three weeks have been useful for resetting the useful aspects a bit in order to optimize the package we have, and we are working on it. Let's be honest: performance is not what we would like. The step to take is really big if we want to beat Red Bull, but we are fully aware of it, starting with yours truly, but if I have to choose a team that can do it, it's Ferrari. The car performed exactly as we expected, so it's not that we did a bad job, we just didn't quite meet our expectations. The gap with Red Bull is significant, but I'm confident. I don't want to give a timeline, but we will work as much as possible to reduce the gap as soon as possible."
With a contract expiring next year and performances that do not arrive, the risk of seeing Charles flee has become more concrete, to the point of becoming the main topic of discussion among the Italian media, and beyond. We already saw last year how frequent and above all unpredictable market movements are in F1. Some rumors prove to be true, others don't, and lately, all sorts of rumors have been made about Charles. In particular on the combination of the Monegasque with the Brackley team, i.e Mercedes. Rumors that take on relevance when those directly involved or other illustrious members of the paddock talk about them.
Charles has no intention of leaving
In this case, however, Charles wanted to clarify his position once again. He did it on Thursday at Baku, day dedicated to media and interviews. The Monegasque has responded to the provocations circulating on the internet, reiterating however his attachment to the Reds. The future doesn't worry him, much more the present. And his present is called Ferrari.“For now, I'm completely focused on the project I'm in today, which is at Ferrari – he explained decisively – I have full faith in the future, then we'll see, but I'm totally involved in the Ferrari project. I am fully committed to Ferrari and I love her. It's always been a dream for me to be in this team, and my main priority is become world champion with this team".
The comment on Mekies' farewell
More appropriate to stay in the present, and precisely with regard to what is happening at Ferrari, dealing with the farewell of another important member of the team, i.e. Laurent Mekies, called by AlphaTauri to hold the position of Team Principal from 2024, Charles expressed himself: “We have a great relationship with Laurent, but all of us in the team understand what this opportunity is right to catch because it's a great opportunity for him - he added - it is so, but theThe team is more than just one person, and I'm very hopeful for the future with what Vasseur has in mind. I think he was very clear about what he wants to achieve and how he wants to achieve it. This gives me confidence, probably more than ever. So yeah, while it's obviously a work in progress, I'm optimistic about the future."
Source statements: FormulaPassion
