Jacques Villeneuve says eight-win F1 driver is starting to realise that he’ll ‘never be world champion’

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A brand-new Formula 1 world champion will be crowned this season. While Max Verstappen, who has won the last four, is still mathematically in contention, the two McLaren drivers are the only real contenders.

Oscar Piastri took a huge step towards that maiden title at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend. Piastri was victorious and, crucially, teammate Lando Norris retired with an oil leak.

Heading into 2025, the race for the championship appeared wide open. It was the final year of a ruleset, and there were four different winning teams across the last five races of 2024.

But it quickly became clear that McLaren had built a dominant package. Thus, the dreams of Ferrari and Mercedes were shattered, and Verstappen’s streak will come to an end.

Jacques Villeneuve says Charles Leclerc’s ‘star has fallen’ at Ferrari

Charles Leclerc must have entered the year more optimistic than ever. He was the top points-scorer after the summer break last season, collecting wins in Italy and the United States.

Ferrari were primed to end a drivers’ title drought that stretched back to 2007. But after a DNF at the Dutch GP, Leclerc is 158 points off the pace.

This is the Monegasque’s seventh season as a Ferrari driver. He finished as runner-up in 2022 but has never been able to sustain a title bid for a full season.

And speaking on the F1 Show, Jacques Villeneuve claimed Leclerc is realising that ‘he will never be world champion’. He’s outperforming teammate Lewis Hamilton this season, but Hamilton is already the most successful driver in the sport’s history.

“Charles is frustrated, because he’s probably starting to understand that he will never be world champion,” said Villeneuve. “It’s gone bad, it’s gone worse.

“Next year is a whole new set of regulations, and normally that’s not when Ferrari’s at its best.

“It’s a difficult situation for him. He’s been there for a long, long, long time and his star has fallen a little bit.

“At least Lewis can rely on the fact that he’s a multiple world champion, so it doesn’t matter if his star falls a little bit. He will always be that big global star anyway that goes beyond Formula 1.”

The crucial clause that could allow Charles Leclerc to leave Ferrari

Leclerc has won eight races in his career and still hasn’t turned 28, so it feels premature to write off his championship aspirations. His dream is to achieve that goal at Ferrari, but he will attract extensive interest if he ever considers leaving.

Toto Wolff is an admirer of Leclerc, who could become his top target if a move for Verstappen doesn’t materialise. If Ferrari are lagging behind at the start of the sport’s new era, suitors will begin to circle.

Leclerc’s contract runs until the end of 2029, but it’s said to contain an exit clause that becomes active next year. This may be tied to the team’s performance.

It’s worth noting that Ferrari are still second in the constructors’ championship. They may, however, be benefiting from the inexperience of Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes and Yuki Tsunoda’s limited contribution at Red Bull.