Charles Leclerc 'not worried' about the 'big gap' between him and Max Verstappen in 2022 F1 championship, says Ferrari can make a 'comeback' if reliability issues are resolved

Charles Leclerc is currently facing a 49-point deficit against Max Verstappen in the drivers' standings, but he is not letting his shoulders drop. The Ferrari driver is confident that once Ferrari's reliability niggles are sorted out, he should be back fighting for wins.

Speaking to the media about his car's performance after the 2022 F1 Canadian GP, Leclerc said:

“I’m confident that our car is strong, if we get on top of reliability. [Montréal] was good. But as I’ve seen also, it’s a problem for everyone, I think reliability. So we just need to focus on ourselves. Performance is strong. And I’m sure that whenever we will finish races, we’ll be there to fight for wins.”

When stressed if he feels worried about the gap to Max Verstappen that is close to two race wins, Charles Leclerc pointed out that reliability has been a concern throughout the grid and once that is fixed, he can start cutting down the deficit.

The Monegasque said:

“No, I’m not worried. I mean, it’s a big gap but, but I’m just focusing on the job, and I’m confident that we can take that back. Again, I think reliability seems to be a concern for everyone this season. And yeah, if we fix our reliability, the performance is there to come back. So already from Silverstone we’ll try to get a few points back.”

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Charles Leclerc hopes to convert pole position to a win at the 2022 F1 British GP

Charles Leclerc has scored six pole positions this season and has converted only two of them into victories. On the other hand, Max Verstappen has the inverse of those statistics with six wins and two pole positions to his name this season.

Speaking to the media, the Ferrari driver expressed hope that at the 2022 F1 British GP, he would be able to convert a pole position to a win for a change this season. He said:

“I really like Silverstone. And hopefully we will be competitive enough to be starting on pole and finally win from pole. I like the way the car handles. I like the balance of the car through cornering. It’s a bit more of a pointy car this year. The rear is quite a lot more moving around. And this seems to fit my driving style a little bit better.”

The Ferrari driver is already facing a sizeable deficit in the points tally for the drivers' championship. Consequently, the 2022 F1 British GP will be crucial for him to make a comeback in the championship battle.