Jacques Villeneuve has questioned the ability of Charles Leclerc to become world champion competing against Max Verstappen.
The Ferrari racer has been the main rivals to the Dutchman's title defence so far this year, though it hasn't gone to plan in recent times. After winning two of the first three races, Leclerc has suffered reliability issues that have allowed Red Bull to run riot.
The team has won the last six races, with Verstappen taking victory in five of those. As a result, he has opened up a 49-point gap over Leclerc in the championship while the gulf between Red Bull and Ferrari in the constructors' standings is even larger.
His victory last time out at the Canadian Grand Prix was described as "typical Max Verstappen" by Villeneuve. "He is always at 100%. Nothing boring ever happens. His performance status is always optimal and he doesn't have a single weekend where he has less pace. He doesn't make any mistakes either. That's why he is a difficult driver to beat," the 1997 world champion told the F1 Nation podcast.
But the Canadian was less impressed by Leclerc, who started from the back of the grid due to penalties incurred by the use of extra engine parts and made his way through the field to finish fifth. Some have praised the way he drove in Montreal, but Villeneuve said he was expecting more from someone with title aspirations.
"When you are in a Ferrari you just have to have a Red Bull in front of you," he added. "Before the race, they received a grid penalty and in their mind fourth place was the maximum, even with [Sergio] Perez still in the race. They have not succeeded. They got points, but it wasn't enough.
"He's super fast, but at the moment he keeps making mistakes that shouldn't happen. Let's take the example of Imola. That doesn't help. We know he's fast and aggressive. But is he a world champion? Is he like Max? How does he drive? Ppressure? That's something we need to find out."
Villeneuve's words echoed those of racing icon Tom Coronel, who was also unimpressed by Leclerc's performance in Canada. "Leclerc? Come on – fifth from the back," said the Dutchman. "With that car he should have just been third after Perez's retirement. Done. He should have been further forward. I didn't think it was very special."
