Ralf Schumacher slams Ferrari F1 drivers

Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc — Photo: © LAT Images

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Schumacher in damning assessment of Ferrari F1 stars

He's not too impressed with the pair's inconsistencies

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 21 January 2024 10:57

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Former Formula 1 race winner Ralf Schumacher has criticised both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz's 'silly mistakes' in 2023.

Ferrari could only manage third in the constructors' championship with Leclerc and Sainz claiming just nine podiums between them, as Red Bull and Max Verstappen once again dominated F1.

While Sainz did pick up a victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, some of his performances left a lot to be desired as inconsistencies crept into the Spaniard's season.

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For Leclerc, the story was much the same, and his supreme one-lap pace did not convert into race wins meaning he has now claimed 12 pole positions without taking a victory.

They managed to finish fifth and seventh respectively in the drivers' championship, both over 350 points behind world champion Verstappen.

Carlos Sainz was the only man to beat Red Bull in a main race in 2023

Charles Leclerc claimed five pole positions in 2023, but not a single race victory

Max Verstappen cruised to his third consecutive drivers' title in 2023

Ferrari's 2024 title chances

Now, Schumacher has said that it may be small mistakes from the two Ferrari stars that are stopping their team from being able to challenge Red Bull more closely in the championship.

“For me, yes. It could be possible," the German told the Formula For Success podcast when asked about Ferrari's title chances.

"But both drivers, you never know what they’ll do: they’re leading a race, they spin off or they’re crashing – not really into each other but making silly mistakes, which very often surprises me.

“I think Fred [Vasseur] is doing a good job so far, you can see now [that] the group is growing together a bit better and less mistakes, very good pit stops. But at the moment, I would not see them as the biggest contender, but maybe I’m wrong.

"As it is, you will see at the first test or the first two races, then I think it’s easier to judge.”