Leclerc forgets long term targets: 'Finishing a race now a priority'

Charles Leclerc says his immediate priority now is to merely "finish a race without any issues", the Ferrari charger discarding his long-term targets for this season.

In Australia, for the second time in three races, Leclerc failed to see the checkered flag. But while a reliability issue had thwarted his efforts in Bahrain, the Monegasque only had himself to blame for his immediate DNF in Melbourne.

Leclerc had qualified seventh at Albert Park, but it all went wrong as soon as the first corner when a contact with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll sent the Ferrari driver into the gravel trap and into a painful retirement.

"I think instead of thinking long term targets, I think just finishing a race without any penalties or issues or whatsoever is a priority," a disappointed Leclerc told the media.

"Then take the momentum and see what's possible."

©Ferrari

So far, Ferrari's 2023 campaign is a far cry from the winning start it enjoyed twelve months ago, when Leclerc prevailed in two of the first three races of the season.

This year, the Scuderia has yet to even score a podium. The spectacular shortfall has left both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz yearning for upgrades.

"It's clear that we need to improve the car," added Leclerc.

"I will wait and see because I think it could be very interesting. What we see during this race, having changed quite a bit of things in terms of setup, I think it's been beneficial for our race pace."

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Scuderia boss Fred Vasseur doubted that Ferrari would introduce a new package at the next race in Baku given its "sprint event" status, but the Frenchman ensured that upgrades are on their way.

"Baku is a sprint race, so it's a bit different, but we will have updates all over the season," he said.

"Let's prepare for the weekend and don't think about damage."

©Ferrari

Vasseur also believed there was a lot more to Ferrari's weekend than its bare results in Melbiurne contending that a "mega" step forward had been achieved in terms of the SF-23's race pace.

"We are a bit down with all of this," said Vasseur.

"But overall, I think the mood is positive, because we did a mega step forward in terms of performance in the race, and we will build up the rest of the season on this.

"I will be positive and I will push again and again.

"I think overall that we did a decent step forward. Yesterday, we were frustrated after the quali, because we had the feeling that we didn't put everything together, but the pace was there."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.