Jacques Villeneuve claims eight-time F1 winner will "never be world champion" in damning critique
Time is running out for one of the fastest F1 drivers to etch his name into the history books, according to a former world champion.
When asked about this driver’s future, Jacques Villeneuve did not hold back - even suggesting that his “star has fallen” while others rise to the top.
Villeneuve himself won the F1 world championship in 1997, beating Michael Schumacher after a nail-biting season finale in Jerez, where the German drove into the side of him in a desperate attempt to take the lead.
Now, the Canadian believes another Ferrari driver struggling to etch a legacy in the sport.
Speaking on Sky Sports News’ F1 Show, he said: “Charles Leclerc is frustrated, because he’s probably starting to understand that he will never be world champion.
“Next year is a whole new set of regulations, and normally that’s not when Ferrari’s at its best. It’s a difficult situation for him. He’s been there for a long, long, long time and his star has fallen a little bit.
“At least Lewis can rely on the fact that he’s a multiple world champion, so it doesn’t matter if his star falls a little bit. He will always be that big global star anyway that goes beyond Formula 1.”
At the start of the 2022 season, Leclerc found himself duking it out with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the first few races, before the Dutchman pulled ahead in the standings - and has now won four world championships in a row.
This season, Leclerc has made it to the podium on a handful of occasions, but McLaren’s dominance has kept him from taking a win this season.
He currently sits fifth in the championship standings, ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton but more than 150 points behind leader Oscar Piastri.
Next year will see a new set of regulations come into effect, which could tighten the field up again. Whether Ferrari can take advantage of this reset remains to be seen - but a move to another team could be on the cards for Leclerc if the Scuderia fails to deliver.