Charles Leclerc has said Ferrari is now aiming to finish second in the 2023 F1 Constructors' Championship. Before the season started, Ferrari had been on a steadily upward trajectory ever since a dismal 2020 season, with the Scuderia returning to the top step of the podium for the first time since 2019 last season and finishing second in the Constructors' Championship behind Red Bull. Hopes were high at Maranello, therefore, that 2023 would bring forth a genuine title challenge for the first time since 2018. However, this has not materialised, with Leclerc and Carlos Sainz combining for only three podium finishes across the first 12 Grands Prix of the campaign, as Red Bull has swept every available win. Ferrari currently sit only fourth in the Constructors' Championship, but Leclerc said the team was aiming to leapfrog Mercedes and Aston Martin into second spot by the end of the year. "The realistic goal for the second half of the season is to become the strongest team behind Red Bull. At the same time, we are trying to close the gap," Leclerc told Motorsport.it . "When we talk about 2024, there is no doubt that everyone's goal is to return to the top and to compete with Red Bull. "Realistically, we will not achieve that this year. The most realistic goal is to finish ahead of McLaren, Aston Martin and Mercedes in the standings."
Leclerc sanguine on Perez performance: Only the team know how it is!
With Red Bull way ahead in the Constructors' Championship, Max Verstappen is proving equally dominant in the Drivers' Championship, with teammate Sergio Perez seemingly struggling to come to terms with the Dutchman's speed and relentlessness. While the Mexican's relative underperformance has led some to question his continued employment at Red Bull, Leclerc preferred to hold his counsel on the topic. "I think Max is a great driver, but at the same time there are a lot of people who can't explain the big margin between him and Checo," said Leclerc. "Personally, I think it's impossible to read the situation properly from the outside. Only inside the team do they know how it is. "Sometimes the margin between Verstappen and Perez was bigger than I expected, but on the other hand, Max is an incredible driver. "It's probably difficult to drive alongside him, but again, I don't have a full picture of the situation."
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