Leclerc is addressed as a five-year-old: "Imagine Horner saying that to Max!"

Analyst Peter Windsor has repeatedly stated that in his opinion, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are the three best drivers. While Verstappen and Hamilton have lived up to that status this season with good results, Ferrari driver Leclerc is having a pretty tough time. Windsor is particularly frustrated with the communication over the team radio at the Italian team.

Race enthusiast Windsor takes the opportunity to praise Verstappen in a YouTube video before addressing the contrast between Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. "Let's enjoy everything that Verstappen is showing us. Let's appreciate how quickly he reacted to the low temperatures in Spain by taking longer corners and thus getting heat into the tires," Windsor praises the world champion. "In my opinion, it's absolutely ridiculous that Ferrari didn't understand what Verstappen was doing with his tire temperatures in Barcelona and then pass that message on to Charles (Leclerc, ed.). I can't believe they didn't do that."

Status quo at Ferrari

In recent years, Ferrari has fired several team principals only to see little change under a new team boss. Under Frédéric Vasseur, it seems to be heading in the same direction. "To be honest, I'm a little disappointed in Ferrari, like everyone else is," says the former Ferrari manager. "I expected that with Fred (Vasseur, ed.) in the team, he would crack the whip a bit and organize things. However, it still seems to be the same old Ferrari."

Windsor sees some minor changes, but the 71-year-old Briton cannot be too enthusiastic about what he sees. "Some little things have changed, and we heard that in Canada when Leclerc was told twice that the team had told Carlos (Sainz, ed.) that he wouldn't attack him. That was a bit over the top, telling him that twice. In addition, the team told Leclerc to drive a flawless and fast stint. Can you imagine Christian Horner telling Verstappen to drive a flawless and fast stint? Max, we want you to drive this stint flawlessly and quickly. What do you think Max would say? Or Lewis (Hamilton)? It's a bit like a schoolteacher telling a five-year-old how to behave. If that's the situation with Charles, they have really hit rock bottom," Windsor harshly criticizes.

Extra pressure at Ferrari

While Leclerc joined the Ferrari team in 2019 when he was still young and carefree, over the years he has become increasingly aware of the additional pressure that comes with driving for Ferrari. "I have the impression that Charles has reached a point in his career at Ferrari where he realizes he has given everything in every possible way and it hasn't worked. Now he's just driving as fast as possible and doesn't want to get involved in anything else. The political situation is too complicated, and he wants to focus on driving," Windsor believes. "He is quite emotional, and in the back of his mind, he still feels a kind of complex pressure," Windsor refers to the political turmoil surrounding Ferrari, while drivers like Verstappen and Hamilton can fully concentrate on their work: racing. "Max doesn't have that, and neither does Hamilton."