Pressure On Charles Leclerc As Ferrari Target Third Straight F1 Victory In French GP

21st July 2022

Leclerc will seek to complete the feat by fending off world champion Max Verstappen and a likely threat from reinvigorated Lewis Hamilton at this weekend’s race

Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc celebrates after winning the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix on the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria, on July 10, 2022. PHOTO | AFP
Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc celebrates after winning the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix on the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria, on July 10, 2022. PHOTO | AFP
SUMMARY
  • The pressure is on Charles Leclerc as Ferrari seek a first hat-trick of Formula One victories since 2019 as they go into this weekend's French Grand Prix
  • The 24-year-old Leclerc, who battled to victory in Austria last time out after team-mate Carlos Sainz triumphed in Britain, is likely to enjoy strong support from a big holiday crowd sweltering in the merciless sunshine of south-eastern France
  • But he will need to overcome several challenges if he is to further trim Red Bull star Verstappen’s 38-point advantage at the half-way mark in this 22-race season, not least from Sainz, who is keen to add to his maiden Silverstone success

The pressure is on Charles Leclerc as Ferrari seek a first hat-trick of Formula One victories since 2019 as they go into this weekend's French Grand Prix.

Leclerc will seek to complete the feat by fending off world champion Max Verstappen and a likely threat from reinvigorated Lewis Hamilton at this weekend’s race.

The 24-year-old Leclerc, who battled to victory in Austria last time out after team-mate Carlos Sainz triumphed in Britain, is likely to enjoy strong support from a big holiday crowd sweltering in the merciless sunshine of south-eastern France.

But he will need to overcome several challenges if he is to further trim Red Bull star Verstappen’s 38-point advantage at the half-way mark in this 22-race season, not least from Sainz, who is keen to add to his maiden Silverstone success.

Ferrari’s hopes of an imposing one-two in Austria were wrecked by a late engine failure for Sainz while Leclerc’s title challenge has suffered after four likely wins escaped him due to car failures or strategy errors.

Verstappen won last year’s race from pole position, passing Hamilton in the closing laps of a strategic race decided by tyre wear, and the Dutchman will want to win to foil Ferrari and retain the initiative.

Between them Ferrari and Red Bull have won all 11 races this year, but they know that Hamilton, lining up for his 300th F1 start on a circuit where he won in 2019 and 2020, is returning to form and that his revised Mercedes performs well on smooth circuits with fast corners.

The seven-time world champion has had three consecutive third places and has rebuilt his confidence.

Curiously, Hamilton will give up his seat for the Dutch Formula E champion Nyck de Vries in Friday’s opening free practice as part of a mandatory scheme in which every team has to use an inexperienced driver at least twice per season.