Leclerc SLATED by F1 champion in Sainz comparison - 'Impressed and depressed'

A former F1 champion threw shade at Charles Leclerc's performance with Ferrari so far this season.

Leclerc arrived in 2024 with high hopes, having secured a long-term contract with the Scuderia but the Monegasque driver's campaign has been overshadowed by his team-mate Carlos Sainz.

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Although Leclerc currently sits in second place in the drivers standings with 47 points - seven points ahead of the Spaniard - most of that is down to the fact Sainz missed Saudi Arabia to undergo appendix surgery.

Leclerc managed podium finishes in Jeddah and Melbourne but hasn't claimed a victory since the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.

Sainz, on the other hand, has put on a strong showing so far this season, starting with a podium in Bahrain and going on to take a sensational victory in Australia, leading Ferrari to a dominant 1-2 finish just weeks after going under the knife in hospital.

While the Italian team extended Leclerc's contract earlier this year, they made the surprising decision to replace Sainz with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season - leaving the former McLaren driver's future in F1 uncertain.

'Not a good look' for Leclerc

World champion Damon Hill has weighed in on the situation at Ferrari following the qualifying session in Japan, where Sainz secured a strong P4 while Leclerc languished in P8.

"I think we ought to categorise that session into impressed and depressed," he said.

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"Basically, there's people who impressed a lot and their team-mate perhaps hasn't done such a great job.

"And you can only say that the reason Charles is unhappy is because he's been beaten by a guy on top form, who is leaving the team and it's not a good look."

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