Todt: 'Leclerc already a great champion, but he is still missing something'
General
- GPblog.com
Jean Todt is still very sympathetic to Ferrari, his old employer. He regrets that Charles Leclerc fell just short (albeit because of not competitive enough material) of making it seriously difficult for Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing throughout the season. Todt especially calls on Ferrari to learn from its mistakes so that it does not happen again in 2023.
"Charles is already a great champion. He is still missing something, I hope he will have it soon. Is it the car? He is missing something...", Todt is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport quoted at the Trento sports festival. The former FIA president does not elaborate further on what he thinks that might be.
F1-75 less competitive
Todt then does begin to talk about F1-75's disappointing performance. Ultimately, in the Frenchman's view, that was mainly the cause of losing the world championship rather than Leclerc's performances. He argues that Ferrari was faster than Red Bull Racing at the beginning of the year, but since the Canadian Grand Prix, the Austrians have completely taken control thanks to the RB18's amazing development.
"At one point, the Scuderia had the best car in the championship. Then they missed certain opportunities, think about the strategy, a safety car that came at the wrong time, reliability problems. It was a sum of different events, which in the end had a price," Todt said.
Todt hopes Ferrari learns
Having been very successful himself at Ferrari, his love for the team has not faded. Despite being directly involved in the organisation of the Italian formation, he speaks in the 'we' form. "We have to think about this, to avoid a repeat. Nothing should ever be taken for granted. Only then are all the ingredients present to become champions. To win, you have to excel at all levels. It starts with the details, with what picks up the phone in the company. If in a company the phone is not answered after ten rings, it is not a good company."
During Todt's time at Ferrari, it won 14 world titles in Formula 1 (among drivers and constructors). Moreover, Michael Schumacher managed to win five consecutive world championships.