"Needs a bit of this experience in these areas"- Former F1 driver doubts Charles Leclerc's 'seriousness' for becoming world champion

Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger doubts Charles Leclerc's 'seriousness' in becoming world champion in 2022. The Austrian believes Leclerc is prone to making mistakes, a quality that will benefit Max Verstappen and Red Bull in their hunt to win the sport's top prize.

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have been at it since Bahrain's season opener, with Ferrari officially making their return as title contenders in 2022. The Monegasque driver has proven that when given the machinery to fight the best, he can step up and deliver (mostly) without faltering. Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger, however, thinks the 24-year-old is prone to making mistakes, giving Verstappen the edge in the world championship rounds to follow.

Berger spoke about Leclerc's infamous spin at the 2022 F1 Imola GP, claiming a more experienced driver wouldn't put himself in a position to make such a mistake. The Austrian driver explained on the F1 Nation podcast, saying:

“He [Leclerc] made one or two mistakes this year that shouldn’t happen when you’re serious for the championship. In Imola the chicane, he should finish taking the points. This is where Lewis impresses me so much, Lewis is always there. Whenever the door is open, he is on the podium to take the points. Leclerc needs a bit of this experience in these areas.”

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Charles Leclerc enjoys his battles with Max Verstappen in 2022

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have maintained a cordial relationship this season despite being the two main protagonists fighting for the title. Both drivers have been involved in some fierce wheel-to-wheel battles this season, but neither one of them has intensified things on the personal front.

Unlike Verstappen's rivalry with Lewis Hamilton last season, the one with Leclerc has involved far less chatter in the media and things have been somewhat amicable between the two contenders.

Leclerc was asked to comment on the nature of the Verstappen vs Hamilton battle in 2021 compared to the Verstappen vs Leclerc battle of 2022. The Ferrari driver took a more diplomatic approach, choosing to comment only on his battle against Verstappen this year. He said:

“I mean, honestly, on the battle of Max and Lewis, I’ve got nothing to say. I wasn’t in that battle and, unfortunately for me, I was fighting for less interesting positions last year! But the fight with Max [and myself this season], obviously I love it.”

He continued, saying:

“We’ve known each other since a very long time [and] it’s always racing on the limits. You can argue that this year is a bit less aggressive than normal with the fights between us, but we’ve grown also throughout the years. We know each other’s weaknesses, we know each other very well, and that’s what makes it exciting – but there’s a lot of respect.”

With the battle between Red Bull and Ferrari intensifying as we cross the halfway mark into the season, there is still plenty of time for the dynamic between Verstappen and Leclerc to take a different turn.