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Former Ferrari legend Luca Baldisseri feels that the only thing stopping Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur from enjoying success in F1 is Max Verstappen.
The last three years in the sport have been all about Verstappen, who won his first world title in 2021 in somewhat controversial fashion. The Dutch driver followed that up by winning the title again in 2022, with Leclerc coming finishing second.
In 2023, the Red Bull driver dominated from start to finish and won 19 races en route to his third world title. He and his team appear to be operating at a completely different level to everybody else in the sport. Red Bull lost only one race all season, while Max Verstappen himself lost only three.
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Talking to Italian journalist Leo Turini, former Ferrari legend Luca Baldisseri claimed that the only major problem for Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur is Verstappen.
He feels that every era is defined by one driver, with Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton doing so in the past. Baldissari added that the current era might just be defined by Verstappen.
“I’m the guy for Vasseur, for Leclerc, for Sainz, and for everyone who works within the racing department," he said. "But they have a problem. And this problem has a first and last name. Max Verstappen.”
“Every generation has its symbol. [Ayrton] Senna, Schumi, [Lewis] Hamilton. Now it is the Dutchman’s turn. He is in the cockpit of the fastest car, but he is also the best," he added. “Driven by [Sergio] Perez, the Red Bull is less stratospheric. There is an additional difference determined by the driving. Like Schumi’s Ferrari when he was at the top: only Michael knew how to make it irresistible.”
In terms of performance, Charles Leclerc's car is not too far behind Sergio Perez: Luca Baldisseri
Baldisseri further claimed that when he compared the performance of Sergio Perez's Red Bull with that of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, the gap was not too big. He believes that with the regulations remaining stable, this kind of gap could be overcome by the teams.
“When I analyse a single seater, I always do it by looking at the performance of the second driver," he said. "And in that sense, it is even clearer that Ferrari’s performance was not much less than that of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull. The other car was further ahead because it was driven by an alien.”
He added:
“Also because the rules remain stable, which should help us get further there. To know exactly what is needed, we really need to work in the team.”
Charles Leclerc started the turbo hybrid era on a high note in 2022, as he won two of the first three races. Unfortunately for him, Ferrari was just not ready to put together a title charge and struggled to maintain the pace.
The 2024 F1 season will be crucial for the Italian team as it tries to recapture its old glory.
