Italian media criticized Charles Leclerc for the accident that prevented victory in the French GP at Paul Ricard. Mattia Binotto was spared by La Gazzetta dello Sport
The Italian press reacted on Monday (25) after the accident of Charles Leclerc during the French GP. The Ferrari Monegasque was leading the race in Paul Ricard when he spun alone and crashed, giving victory to Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
The result left Leclerc far behind in the championship, 63 points behind his rival. In the Constructors' battle, Red Bull also has a good distance to Ferrari, with 82 points difference and 10 races remaining.
Mauro Coppini, from Corriere dello Sport, pointed to the fragility and dejection shown by Charles in interviews after the accident, just at a moment when Ferrari has all the confidence in the driver to fight for the title.
"What is striking is the post-race attitude. Very similar to that of an embarrassed child called by his parents to justify himself for a joke. Hands behind his back and looking down. Signs of a fragility capable of destroying any talent. And all this at the moment when Ferrari decided to give him the role of first driver. With a Carlos Sainz ready for the sacrifice. But then on the track the Spaniard, who started from the last row to change the engine, made the race of his life. Leclerc does nothing but respond with an unconditional surrender that risks passing to the entire Ferrari. The Frenchman's uncertainty becomes the uncertainty of the entire team. Able to do his best in qualifying, but often getting lost in the race. An uncertain champion can be a great driver, but not a great leader," he wrote.
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Drivers from Ferrari's rival teams were praised, and not only championship leader Max Verstappen, but also Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
"And there are a lot of leaders on the track. Starting with one Max Verstappen, whose back is armored by his team. And not everyone wastes time grounded behind the blackboard. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are ready to write in big letters on that board. And it's all thanks also to Ferrari's repeated performance breakdowns, which have allowed Mercedes and McLaren to recover unexpectedly. For Maranello, the leisure time is over. The bell has rung. It's time to go back to class," he added.
Giulio Caronia of La Gazzetta dello Sport, meanwhile, used the opportunity to recall the points wasted through Leclerc's fault in the championship and took the opportunity to praise team boss Mattia Binotto, who commented after the race that there are still many points to be won even after so many opportunities thrown away by the Maranello team, whether due to driver errors or reliability.
"Leclerc is a very talented driver, who works hard and does everything he can. Unfortunately, he made a mistake, but he admitted it immediately and gained a lot of sympathy. Verstappen was pleased to have won again, even though he knew he didn't have the fastest car in France. This makes it difficult to assess how things would have been without Leclerc's crash. However, to become the champion, you need to win and not make mistakes. Verstappen has learned from his past mistakes and is now an impeccable driver," he posted.
Formula One returns immediately next weekend with the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit in Mogyorod. The 13th round of the World Championship will be the last before the traditional European summer break.