Formula 1: Jean Todt's honest assessment of Charles Leclerc and Ferrari this year

Former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt has given his thoughts on Charles Leclerc and the Scuderia’s season this year in Formula 1.

The Maranello-based outfit has been back on the top step this year but this season, many will feel, could have offered so much more.

The car has been very quick but, at times, fragile, whilst some strategy and driver mistakes have crept in along the way, and we’re now in a position where Max Verstappen winning the title appears a foregone conclusion with as many as six races still to go.

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There are positives to take, of course, with both Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz taking victories this year but as someone who presided over the Scuderia’s most dominant spell in the sport at the start of this century, Todt is better placed than most to identify the areas which need to be improved.

“Charles is already a great champion. He still lacks something, I hope he has it soon,” said Todt on Leclerc, though he did not expand further on what was missing.

“Ferrari at one point had the best car in the championship,” he then said on the team.

“Then they missed certain opportunities. I’m thinking of strategy, a Safety Car that came in at the wrong time, reliability problems. Different episodes had a cost. We have to reflect on this to avoid them happening again.”

Todt’s advice for Ferrari to learn for 2023 and beyond?

“Never leave anything to chance. And if you manage to leave nothing taken for granted, all the ingredients are there to be champions.”

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We still have six races to go and Ferrari and Leclerc can still win both titles mathematically but the sensible heads say that it might be wise that they increase