Former F1 driver faces backlash from Charles Leclerc fans for criticizing the Ferrari driver: "That's why Jolyon Palmer couldn't find an F1 seat"

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has been criticized by Charles Leclerc's fans on social media for his opinion post the Miami GP.

The Monegasque driver did not have the best of races in Miami as he struggled to make his way through the grid, starting P7 and finishing P7. For most of the race, Leclerc was battling against Ferrari's customer team Haas F1 driver Kevin Magnussen.

Former Renault driver Palmer criticized Leclerc for his approach of 'win or bust' after two crashes in Miami which brought out the red flag in FP2 and qualifying respectively. The Briton suggested in his opinion piece on the F1.com website that Charles Leclerc should change his approach a little bit to get on the level of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

His opinion did not sit well with the Monegasque's fans who took to Twitter to express their views, with one fan questioning the former F1 driver's credentials as a pundit, saying:

"That's why Jolyon Palmer couldn't find an F1 seat. He was settling for worse results instead of taking risks. We like Leclerc on the limits he does everything in order to deliver. When he does we are happy when he crashes we know he can recover and learn from it."

Here are some reactions:

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"It seems to me he needs to reset his expectations a little bit" - Jolyon Palmer on Charles Leclerc

The Briton mentioned that Charles Leclerc needed to readjust his expectations going into the next part of the season.

He said:

"It seems to me he needs to reset his expectations a little bit. I’d still put Leclerc in the mix with Verstappen and Hamilton as one of the best drivers in the field. But what sets those two champions apart is their consistency. Maybe they don’t have the last ounce of speed that Leclerc has, but they also make a fraction of the mistakes, and when it comes down to putting together a sustained championship challenge that is what counts."

"It’s not easy for Leclerc to just dial out the last 1% of hustle. It’s in his driving DNA – he’s always been on the edge and it’s what has delivered so many flamboyant pole laps throughout his career. Maybe there are times where he can take some risk out, like in those practice long runs, or when he hasn’t got a qualifying banker in, whilst keeping some of his attacking spirit when the time is right."

It will be fascinating to see if Charles Leclerc does make any adjustments to his approach to a weekend in the rest of the 2023 season.