Voicing his frustration that Ferrari does not have the car to fight at the front, Mario Andretti says he would happily offer Charles Leclerc a way out of Ferrari, but that Cadillac \u201cneeds a couple of years\u201d.<\/p>\n
Leclerc finished a distant P6 at the Singapore Grand Prix as Ferrari\u2019s main rival for second in the Constructors\u2019 Championship, Mercedes, clinched its second grand prix win of this season.<\/p>\n
Could Charles Leclerc leave Ferrari in 2027?<\/p>\n
That put Mercedes 27 points clear of Ferrari, who has yet to win a grand prix nor has the Italian stable featured on the podium in the last five races.<\/p>\n
Leclerc<\/a> was downbeat about his prospects in the remaining six races.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, we don\u2019t have the race car to fight with the guys in front,\u201d he told the media at the Marina Bay circuit.<\/p>\n Going on to declare that Ferrari\u2019s rivals had all made steps forward and that \u201cMercedes now is at the same level of McLaren and Red Bull\u201d, he added: \u201cAnd then there\u2019s us.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not easy, obviously, because you want to fight for better positions. But at the moment, it just feels like we are passengers to the car and we cannot extract much more.\u201d<\/p>\n Coming on the back of his comments that it is \u201cvery unlikely\u201d Ferrari will win a race this season, Italian publication Corriere dello Sport claimed his criticism hasn\u2019t gone down well at Maranello<\/a>.<\/p>\n The report states: \u2018Among the engineers themselves, there are those who are angry with Leclerc for his uncompromising criticism of the car and how it is managed.\u2019<\/p>\n Gazzetta dello Sport stated that Leclerc\u2019s comments \u2018paint a discouraging picture of the entire Maranello environment\u2019, and that \u2018relations between the various departments of the team are strained.\u2019<\/p>\n So strained that if Ferrari doesn\u2019t undergo a notable change in fortunes next season when F1 resets the regulations, Leclerc\u2019s manager Nicholas Todt has warned he will start looking at his options for 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n F1 contracts: Made to be broken?<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 F1 2026 driver line-up: Lewis Hamilton and other drivers already confirmed for 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 F1 driver contracts: What is the contract status of every driver on the F1 2025 grid? <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not a kid anymore,\u201d he told the Straight Times. \u201cHe\u2019s been racing with Ferrari for many seasons. We need a winning car\u2026 Many drivers will want to see how competitive the various teams are before deciding whether to stay or change teams. I expect a very hot market.\u201d<\/p>\n A market that Cadillac\u2019s Andretti wishes the American team could have a say in, at least when it comes to Leclerc.<\/p>\n But the 1978 F1 World Champion, who is on the board of directors at the Cadillac team, admits the American team will need a few years before it can make a play for a driver like Leclerc.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a big fan of Leclerc, and if he ever wanted to change teams, I\u2019d take him on at Cadillac right away,\u201d Andretti said as per F1inGenerale at the\u00a0Trento Sports Festival.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s able to win races, and if he has the car he would be able to win a championship.<\/p>\n \u201cI would (sign him) tomorrow, without a doubt. I would welcome him with open arms. We need a couple of years, we have to deserve such a talent.<\/p>\n \u201cI like Leclerc, he\u2019s a very capable driver. He, for sure, needs a different car.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut,\u201d he conceded, \u201cFerrari will always be there. Sooner or later they will come up with something.\u201d<\/p>\n