Leclerc “slowly” broaching contract talks with Ferrari

31 comments on “Leclerc “slowly” broaching contract talks with Ferrari”

1. 

   PeterG
   30th June 2023, 0:24

   I think the only people who would want one lap qualifying to return are those who either don’t know how bad it was ehen it eas tried before or who don’t watch the qualifying sessions anyway so don’t know how thrilling what we have currently is.

   I just don’t see how anyone who was watching F1 in 2003-2005 can look at those qualifying formats and say it was better, more exciting with more tension than what we have now.

   There’s a reason TV ratings for qualifying plummeted those 3 years and why Saturday circuit attendance also dropped. It was just awfully dull to watch and so fewer people watched it. Same reason hardly anybody watches qualifying for other series that run the format in some form…. It’s just a dull format that lacks the build of tension and excitement at multiple points that we got from the old 1 hour format and which we get from what we have currently.

   You see the odd comment about how great the duels format is or what Indycar do….. Yet the ratings and attendance for those qualifying formats is miniscule so clearly they can’t be that great else more would be watching. Yet F1 qualifying as it is gets packed stands and good ratings and in every fan survey thats been conducted since 2006 gets exceptionally high praise.

   Why change what works brilliantly, is exciting to watch and exceptionally popular with fans?
   1. 

      S
      30th June 2023, 4:26

      I think the only people who would want one lap qualifying to return are those who either don’t know how bad it was ehen it eas tried before or who don’t watch the qualifying sessions anyway so don’t know how thrilling what we have currently is.

      You think wrong.
      I saw this format before, and I see the current qualifying format now. I’ve also seen shootouts in other series and enjoy those too, likewise with other series’ various (different) formats. Each format has positives and negatives. No one is ‘better’ than all the rest.

      If you don’t think this format is interesting to you, then that’s just your personal opinion. If there’s something fundamentally boring about having only one car on the track at a time, then the problem is the cars themselves and the way they are driven not being sufficiently interesting. That is an issue totally independent of the format.

      There’s a reason TV ratings for qualifying plummeted those 3 years and why Saturday circuit attendance also dropped

      Was it because F1’s on-track competition was generally poor at the time? I’m sure you don’t think so, right? Couldn’t possibly include any other factors present at the time, could it.
      The same people who use this argument are often the same ones who complain about every other change F1 proposes.

      It’s just a dull format that lacks the build of tension and excitement at multiple points that we got from the old 1 hour format and which we get from what we have currently.

      On the contrary – this format does build tension, perhaps even more so than the current format, and certainly more than the old 1 hour open sessions (of which there were two for a while, where the fastest laps were often recorded in the first half of the Saturday session, and sometimes even on the Friday).
      Each car is expected to improve over the previous one in a shootout. The pressure is on each team and driver to deliver on that one opportunity presented to them. No second chances. No excuses.
      And every spectator has the opportunity to witness the entire performance of each competitor rather than merely being fixated on a stopwatch and a static view of the finish line.

      And still you compare Indycar and F1 as though they are direct competitors. You tell me when Indycar stops being a domestic series and puts out a truly global 24-race calendar.
      What is it with some F1 ‘fans’ that they can’t see that other series actually don’t try to be F1. They don’t want all the negatives that F1 attracts and is weighed down by.
      1. 

         James Coulee
         30th June 2023, 8:22

         Personal opinion to you, of course. With perfectly valid points. But the viewing numbers tell a great story of how the majority saw that format and sees the current one.
   2. 

      SteveP
      30th June 2023, 8:40

      I think the only people who would want one lap qualifying to return are those who either don’t know how bad it was ehen it eas tried before or who don’t watch the qualifying sessions anyway so don’t know how thrilling what we have currently is.

      I have vague memories of that – basically I was so bored by it I found other things to do.

      On a positive note, they could delay transmission and shorten the TV footage to showing the single lap of the fastest car and have the whole, otherwise tedious one-by-one, process over and done in less time than an ad-break on Sky.
   3. 

      MichaelN
      30th June 2023, 9:09

      Or some people just like different things, and want different things from F1. Maybe there are more who like the current format than who like single lap, but that doesn’t mean either group doesn’t understand the concept of the other’s preferred format, or has never seen it.

      I like to see all laps by all drivers, and think the one lap adds an extra layer of risk/reward challenge. I don’t like watching the timing bar update with frequently irrelevant footage on the side, or of cars coming through the last few corners, and I don’t care about the knockout gimmick. Qualifying is strictly highlights-only viewing as a result. But to each his own.
2. 

   GT Racer (@gt-racer)
   30th June 2023, 0:34

   Single car/lap qualifying is something that was looked at for sprint weekends and i gather something that didn’t have much support from the FIA, Liberty or the teams.

   It wasn’t a popular format previously and despite various tweaks been made over the 3 seasons it remained deeply unpopular which is ultimately why it was dropped.

   It is true to say that TV ratings and attendance declined on Saturdays and that from around mid way through 2003 most of the broadcasters were pushing for it to be reverted back to the 1 hour/12 lap format used from 96-02 primarily because of how quickly Saturday ratings were falling as well as feedback they were getting from viewers. It’s also why most broadcasters opted not to show both of the sessions and why some even stopped showing live qualifying all together by 2005, It simply wasn’t drawing viewers.
3. 

   Jordi Casademunt (@casjo)
   30th June 2023, 1:02

   If traffic is a problem during Q1, they could maybe take a leaf from MotoGP’s book. Use results from FP2 as a way to get some drivers directly into Q2. So maybe the top 5 or 6 in FP2 go straght into Q2, then Q1 only has 14-15 drivers instead of 20.

   It does come with disadvantages. The strongest drivers will be missing from Q1, and the last few minutes of FP2 could become a bit of an issue with all drivers predictably waiting for the last moment to do their laps, since the track will be improving. It also makes FP2 results more representative of the performance of each team, which could take away some of the surprise for qualifying (but in normal weekends there’s FP3 left, so the running order might end up being different).

   I can see why some drivers might be supportive of one-shot qualifying. They get to have the whole track for themselves, no need to worry about traffic, being able to prepare the tyres optimally, and just focusing on doing the lap and nothing else. I personally wouldn’t mind it, at least in tracks like Monaco.
   1. 

      Esploratore (@esploratore1)
      30th June 2023, 2:06

      I don’t like this, prevents the possibility of top team drivers starting from the back.
   2. 

      Esploratore (@esploratore1)
      30th June 2023, 2:06

      However it would make drivers push more during practice.
   3. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      30th June 2023, 5:56

      @casjo Not a bad idea in theory, but I don’t know how ideal a practice session featuring any competitiveness would be.
      I find the group suggestion is better.
      @esploratore1
4. 

   Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
   30th June 2023, 1:14

   If Charles were ambitious and chose to have contract talks, it shouldn’t be with Ferrari.
   1. 

      Coventry Climax
      30th June 2023, 1:32

      I don’t see him staying there. It’s just talk about talks, so likely intended to see if there’s any interest from another, decent teams.
      But who knows, should Ferrari get its act together. Ha, while jotting this down, I immediately think ‘unlikely’.
      1. 

         Coventry Climax
         30th June 2023, 1:34

         typo: ‘another’ => ‘other’
      2. 

         Nick T.
         30th June 2023, 5:00

         Unless Ferrari show some amazing turn around, I definitely see Charles delaying signing while better seats for 2025 (or 2024, who knows he might have a clause for an early release) are not cemented.

         Meanwhile, I could see Sainz signing (or sainzing) a very long term deal with Audi if he gets the opportunity. However, IMO, his ultimate goal is to stay at Ferrari for his entire career (and win at some point of course).
         1. 

            MacLeod (@macleod)
            30th June 2023, 7:43

            1 swallow in the air doesn’t make a summer…….
   2. 

      Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
      30th June 2023, 9:12

      @proesterchen
      Realistically speaking, what other options he really has ? Marko won’t welcome anyone that wouldn’t be a second driver to Verstappen. Wolff was only interested in Leclerc to put more pressure on Hamilton in order to force him sign at his terms and reduce his wage. Stroll sr won’t drop his son to sign Leclerc. McLaren are in a free fall as long as Zak Brown is in charge.
      1. 

         Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
         30th June 2023, 10:47

         I agree that there’s little to indicate any of the teams ahead of Ferrari currently being interested in Charles at the moment but with another 18 months on his contract and presumably little incentive for Ferrari themselves to look elsewhere (or throw their lot in even harder with their Spanish paydriver), it would probably help open up better options on the grid if Ferrari were less certain of retaining Charles and would at least explore other options.

         Not talking to Ferrari may very well be the key to getting a better seat elsewhere.
      2. 

         Esploratore (@esploratore1)
         30th June 2023, 23:37

         I find this strange that marko wouldn’t be ok with a driver challenging verstappen, and verstappen himself likes the challenge and said he’s not afriad of anyone, would like to see a verstappen-leclerc pairing.
5. 

   Dane
   30th June 2023, 3:10

   Charles surely knows he’s got to wait it out on a new contract. You don’t want to be like Norris and locked into an uncompetitive team. Maybe Alonso or Hamilton retires and a more competitive ride becomes available. I’m not sure I’d trust Aston Martin to win a title before Ferrari though.
   1. 

      SteveP
      30th June 2023, 8:24

      I’m not sure I’d trust Aston Martin to win a title before Ferrari though.

      I’m not sure I’d trust Ferrari to win a title before a major rules change to something that favours what Ferrari are good at – waiting for all the follow up comments off that…
      1. 

         Coventry Climax
         30th June 2023, 11:14

         As noone else seems to take up that glove, I’ll do it:
         What exactly is it, that Ferrari are good at?
         Their coffee isn’t the best in the paddock, so maybe their pasta’s or pizza’s? Both is highly unlikely, as they would then have to divide their attention, which is certainly something they’re not good at. Nor do they have the strategy to get both on the table at the same time.
         1. 

            Esploratore (@esploratore1)
            30th June 2023, 23:39

            Indeed, doesn’t seem likely it’s gonna happen, unless red bull and merc leave the sport, then it’s ferrari vs mclaren vs aston martin and they could win.
6. 

   Nick T.
   30th June 2023, 4:56

   Must be nice to be a celebrity and actually get a home burglary case treated seriously. Isn’t this like the third time Norris has been the target of theft?

   BTW, hope we don’t have to suddenly start hearing about every Hollywood tie in Alpine or its drivers gets. It is funny note to they didn’t bother to invite Gasly. He’s so in love with his reflection. He’d fit right in in Hollywood.
7. 

   AllTheCoolNamesWereTaken
   30th June 2023, 5:44

   Even if Leclerc has finally had enough of Ferrari’s constant underperformance – which I wouldn’t blame him for – where would he go?

   Red Bull doesn’t have room for him, and won’t for the foreseeable future – not with Verstappen on the other side of the garage. Hamilton won’t vacate his seat unless Mercedes is still in the weeds next year – in which case, why would Leclerc want to go there? Aston Martin has yet to prove that they can mount a consistent challenge for race wins, let alone championships … plus, Stroll Jr. isn’t going anywhere, and Alonso will have to be physically dragged away – so Aston Martin doesn’t have room for Leclerc, either.

   And, barring some major changes to the pecking order over the next year, every other team on the grid would be a downgrade from where he is now.

   Whether he wants to or not, Leclerc will likely have no choice but to extend his contract with Ferrari – although I hope for his sake that he keeps his options somewhat open and doesn’t wind up stuck there on another five-year deal. If that happens, it might very well be the end of his championship hopes.
   1. 

      Esploratore (@esploratore1)
      30th June 2023, 23:42

      Well, if you think about it, since merc became a decent team they’ve been overall better than ferrari: merc is a long term bet that can actually end up winning titles, ferrari can’t from what I saw ever since red bull and merc became top teams, they could handle winning against mclaren and williams.
8. 

   Jere (@jerejj)
   30th June 2023, 5:54

   I didn’t know Lando had a Villa in Southern Spain (if that is his rather than something rented for a holiday).
   Anyway, I’m surprised he’s already got robber twice, although the robber(s) in this case mightn’t necessarily have known who he was robbing.

   My stance on the single-lap qualifying format remains the same, so I share views already posted here.
   1. 

      notagrumpyfan
      30th June 2023, 7:48

      I didn’t know Lando kept you abreast of where he owns real estate.
      Anyway, I’m surprised people think one can only be robbed once.
      1. 

         Esploratore (@esploratore1)
         30th June 2023, 23:44

         Thieves wrote a list of easy targets, shared it with their colleagues and norris is number 1 on the list!
   2. 

      MacLeod (@macleod)
      30th June 2023, 7:49

      Rented villa, so inside job that is nomal way of operation lately in Spain. My uncle rented also a villa went out for dinner and wonder a breakin and he lost some stuff (luckly all the really important stuf he had on him or was in a safe in the local bank…)
      1. 

         Jere (@jerejj)
         30th June 2023, 8:55

         @macleod
         I eventually figured out the rented part but hadn’t realized robbing rented villas would be normal in Spain.
         Always something new to learn & good that your uncle was more fortunate than him regarding the stolen stuff.
9. 

   Electroball76
   30th June 2023, 19:56

   Charles came screeching in, but the Ferrari team brought out the wrong contracts. They just sent him back out again without a clear strategy.

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