Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had a perfect start to the 2022 championship as he won the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain. Thanks to two early retirements from Max Verstappen in Bahrain and Australia, Leclerc managed to get on top of the drivers’ rankings with another win in Australia. Moreover, the Monegasque was going strong in third place in Imola, where a mistake cost him a spot at the podium.
Recently, Rwandan-Belgian racer Naomi Schiff suggested that Charles will have to make some changes in his driving style if he needs to stay in the championship battle against Max Verstappen. Schiff pointed out Leclerc’s error in Imola. She advised the 24-year-old to focus on consistency instead of throwing up good results to chase better ones. Leclerc was running third at the Emilia Romagna GP when he tried to pressurize Serio Perez to take over the second spot. However, the Ferrari driver lost control and spun across the gravel. Leclerc slipped to the ninth position and could only manage to finish in sixth place. Charles’ error and Max Verstappen’s win at Imola allowed the Dutchman to close the lead to just 27 points. Leclerc gave away a strong position in Imola in order to get close to Verstappen.
Leclerc Made A Mistake Without Any Pressure
Speaking to Sky Sports, Naomi told that it was pretty early for Charles Leclerc to feel the pressure. He was in a decent position on the drivers’ rankings heading into the weekend. Moreover, Schiff added that Leclerc is comfortably leading the championship, and pressure was not the reason behind his mistake. The W Series driver said, “I think that was purely just a very typical Charles Leclerc mistake.”
Furthermore, Naomi explained that Leclerc always pushes very hard, and it often turns out to be wrong for him. She feels that the challenge for Charles this year would be to reign it in a little. Schiff shared that the Monacan driver is lightning quick, but he needs to finish the race to collect points. And for that, Charles will need to be more consistent rather than securing the quickest lap in the race. In addition, Naomi told that every point counts, but sometimes a driver needs to look at the bigger picture. The female racing driver concluded, “I think Charles is a bit too eager at the moment.”
Thus, Charles must gather his thoughts and focus on the bigger perspective if he needs to beat the reigning world champ this year. Verstappen is used to the pressure, but Leclerc is yet to experience it as the championship moves forward. Leclerc will have to keep a calm mindset and focus on his consistent performance throughout the season instead of throwing it away in an attempt to do better.