F1: Ferrari drivers can 'do better'

(GMM) As uncertainty looms over Ferrari’s driver lineup beyond 2024, team boss Frederic Vasseur admits both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz can “do better”.

It is believed that Leclerc is now close to signing up for 2025 and beyond, while Spaniard Sainz is pushing for contract talks as soon as possible.

When asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport about the pair, Vasseur replied: “You can always do better – as a team and also as drivers.

“Charles didn’t expect a season like this, and at the beginning he pushed more than he should. Now he seems to have digested the situation better,” said the Frenchman.

“Carlos is very consistent and for this reason, he’s a good reference for us. Leclerc is impulsive as a character, meaning that if something doesn’t go well, he doesn’t hold back.

“However, for his own good and that of the team, sometimes it’s better to calm down before speaking. He’s always very fast, but this year if you look at qualifying Carlos is more up to the task than in the past,” Vasseur added.

It had been rumored that Lewis Hamilton might be an option for Ferrari, especially given his closeness to Vasseur.

“I talk to him at every race,” Vasseur admitted. “He raced for me 20 years ago, and we’re still close. I helped him when he went to McLaren at the start of his career, and we talk every now and then.

“I don’t want to compare him to our drivers – it wouldn’t make sense. But the contribution of a top driver isn’t just driving, it’s also technical, strategy, help in hiring engineers.

“And in this case, if you have Hamilton or Verstappen but also Leclerc, it’s easier,” he said.