Charles Leclerc will be the ‘real deal’ once he’s matured, says David Coulthard

The Ferrari star is 80 points behind Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship after a turbulent first half of the season

(EPA)

Charles Leclerc can be the “real deal” in F1, according to former race winner David Coulthard, but only if he matures and irons out the errors currently plaguing his season.

Leclerc sits a full 80 points behind Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship at the mid-season break despite starting on pole in seven of the 13 races so far in 2022.

Catastrophic strategic decisions by Ferrari and reliability issues have been the main cause of the Monegasque’s in-race struggles - that have come despite having a quicker car than Red Bull - but the 24-year-old has also made a couple of crucial individual errors.

At Imola, Leclerc spun out when going for an overtake while at the French Grand Prix he crashed out of the race when leading in what he has admitted was an unforced error.

Charles Leclerc crashed out at the French Grand Prix (AFP via Getty Images)

The Ferrari driver was particularly critical of himself for that crash at Paul Ricard but Coulthard, who is now a pundit after winning 13 races during a 14-year F1 career, has backed him to have a hugely successful career.

“I wasn’t surprised [that Leclerc was critical of himself] because that’s been part of how he’s been his whole time in Formula 1,” the Scot told Channel .

“Go back to Azerbaijan [in qualifying in 2019] in the Ferrari, popped it into the wall at the chicane and said ‘I’m so stupid, I’m so stupid’. He’s not stupid, he’s a brilliantly fast racing driver.

“But he’s still maturing in front of the public eye, under the biggest pressure in Formula 1, that’s representing Ferrari. It’s more than a racing company, it’s a country, it’s a worldwide tifosi.

“Once he’s ironed out those little errors – and let’s remind ourselves Max Verstappen made errors like that in his early career – he will be the real deal.”