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Jean Alesi has issued a bold prediction regarding Charles Leclerc at Ferrari after seeing ‘everything go wrong’ for him during recent race weekends.
The Monegasque racing driver has endured a difficult several weeks alongside his currently high-flying teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
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While the Briton has been a staple of the podium proceedings on recent race weekends, Leclerc has been unable to draw out the same calibre of pace.
Despite the poor run of form, F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher remains confident that Leclerc is Ferrari’s strongest driver, and his former on-track rival, Jean Alesi, believes it is only a matter of time before the 28-year-old is back to his very best.
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Jean Alesi is adamant that Charles Leclerc will bounce back after seeing ‘everything go wrong’ for him
In a recent conversation with renowned F1 journalist Leo Turrini for his Deep Red blog on Quotidiano Nazionale, Alesi was asked whether Leclerc may be suffering from a bout of ‘Alesi syndrome’.
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The phrase was made up by Turrini as an amusing way to reference the Frenchman’s lack of success with Ferrari. Over a five-year stint in Maranello, Alesi claimed just one win in red before being replaced by none other than Michael Schumacher in 1996.
Still, Alesi went on to score a very strong tally of podiums throughout his career. Following his departure from the Prancing Horse, he plied his trade at Bennetton and Sauber, before calling it a day at Jordan Racing in 2001 with a total of 32 top-three finishes to his name.
After being light-heartedly asked whether Leclerc is now ‘doomed to win absolutely nothing’ in the remainder of his career, Alesi replied, “No, not at all. The comparison doesn’t hold water. And if you like, I can try to explain why.
“Well, I’ll admit there is a similarity between us. I arrived at Maranello during a period of technical crisis – so much so that my great friend Michael, a giant of a man, didn’t win straight away! Leclerc has been in a similar situation. But he doesn’t have to prove anything.
“He’s a top driver, and he’s proved it. Besides, the fact that he’s decided to extend his contract shows that Charles believes in the technical project; he’s seen something that gives him confidence.”
The Frenchman was then asked for his thoughts on whether the eight-time Grand Prix winner can bounce back, and he did not mince his words, replying, “Definitely!
“You know, there are moments in every driver’s life when everything goes wrong. It’s just happened to him recently.”
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