Charles Leclerc worries Ferrari's F1 challenger suits his teammate Carlos Sainz's driving style better

Charles Leclerc is worried that Ferrari's 2023 challenger, the SF23, suits his teammate Carlos Sainz's driving style more than his. The Monegasque was an early title favorite in 2022, but dropped out of the title battle after a string of reliability and strategic issues from the Italian team.

While Leclerc prefers a car with a pointy front end, Sainz is a fan of understeer. Interestingly, the team's latest challenger is reportedly understeer-heavy, which is quite different from last year's F1-75, which was reportedly tailored around Leclerc's driving style. The Monegasque claims that he's struggling to understand the driving style needed to best suit the new car, putting him on the back foot for times to come.

Addressing the difference, Charles Leclerc stated:

"The SF-23 has to be driven differently. I've tried different riding styles and I'm finding the right way but there's still work to do. "

The Italian team had a decent stint during pre-season testing in Bahrain, with Sainz pipping Leclerc over the course of the weekend. Red Bull has turned out to be the ones to beat once again, with Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen blazing up the track in Sakhir.

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Charles Leclerc comments on new team principal Frederic Vasseur

When Charles Leclerc debuted in F1 in 2018, he was paired with Frederic Vasseur at Alfa Romeo. However, Vasseur has now taken over as the Scuderia's team principal, succeeding Mattia Binotto. The collaboration between the two is expected to benefit the Maranello-based team, which struggled with inadequate strategic decisions in 2022, allowing Red Bull to dominate.

Before Vasseur's signing, Leclerc spoke to the media at the annual FIA prize-giving ceremony in Bologna to explain his links with the Frenchman:

"Ferrari is a very different team to any other teams. I can only comment on my experience with Fred which obviously has been good, I've worked with him already in the junior categories when he believed in me. We've always had a good relationship, but that shouldn't influence any of the decisions. He's always been very straightforward and very honest - it is something I've liked from Fred. Whether it will be him or not, I don't know. Hopefully, we'll see in the next few months."

Given Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur's prior collaboration, their synergy is expected to be advantageous for Ferrari in 2023, particularly if the team is competitive for this season's championship. It remains to be seen if the Scuderia can reclaim their position as the top team in the sport, which they haven't held since 2007.