Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc promises to end 16-year world championship drought

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has declared his determination to win this season’s Formula One world championship and redress the bitter disappointment of his dashed hopes last year.

The Monégasque driver, speaking at the launch of Ferrari’s new car the SF-23 at their test circuit in Fiorano, was bullish in his insistence that he could finally end the Scuderia’s 16-year title drought in 2023. Leclerc felt strongly that they would be in every position to take the fight to last year’s champion, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

“The goal is to win, I am really looking forward to getting back in the car and trying to win that championship,” he said. “Last year was a good step forward. We need to do just the same this year and hopefully get that championship. That is the target for the team and for me too, get more wins, hopefully be more consistent from the first race to the last race.”

Last season Leclerc and Ferrari enjoyed a hugely impressive opening, taking two wins in three races and amassing a 46-point lead over Verstappen. However his challenge fell away after a series of reliability issues and strategy errors, as Verstappen cantered to the title leaving Leclerc in second, 146 points down on the Dutchman.

The Scuderia have not taken the drivers’ championship since Kimi Raikkonen did so in 2007 but Leclerc believes his team have addressed the issues that bedevilled them last year.

“2022 was a good step forward following two difficult years, but we finished second in the drivers’ championship and also in the constructors’ championship,” he said. “We have done a great job trying to address the weaknesses that there were on the car and hopefully it will be better this season.”

Central to the team’s fresh start has been the