F1, Charles Leclerc from world championship in 2023? Helmut Marko is hard as hell

Competitive yes, but not enough to pose a threat.

Charles Leclerc will not be able to challenge Max Verstappen for the Formula 1 world championship title even in 2023. That is the categorical judgment of Helmut Marko, who while admitting the Ferrari driver’s talents does not see the scope for a close fight with Red Bull ahead of next season.

“Right now only two drivers could be in contention with Verstappen for the world championship. They are Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, but both of them are halfway to Max,” is what Marko said to the microphones of ‘RTL Germany’.

So the highly listened to Red Bull advisor went into specifics about the reasons why he believes this important gap to Verstappen exists. “I consider Leclerc extremely strong in qualifying. On Sundays, however, he makes many more mistakes than Max does,” Marko said. “Hamilton, on the other hand, has a big advantage in experience and great motivation, but 2023 will be a real challenge for him. It will have to be seen whether they will develop a better car in Mercedes than this year.”

Then there is the Verstappen component, which Marko says is just as important in the direct confrontation with Leclerc: “Max is driving with a confidence he has never achieved before. Compared to anyone else he has a greater overall vision of the car package, and even in tire management he has become an unparalleled expert. He has no limits, from this point of view he is crazy. And the others are left with no other solution than to try to keep up with him.”