Christian Danner believes that Charles Leclerc would have a more impressive CV had he joined Red Bull instead of Ferrari.
The Monegasque driver is now in his eighth season with Ferrari, but he still hasn’t come close to fighting for the championship. The team haven’t delivered a car capable of challenging, and strategic missteps combined with mistakes from Leclerc haven’t helped his cause.
Following a winless 2025 season, reports began circulating about his future. Although under contract until 2029, there are suggestions he could look to leave as early as 2026 with interest from other teams growing.
This year’s SF-26 has been solid, and Ferrari have finished third in every race so far. Leclerc is enjoying a good battle with Lewis Hamilton, but the car isn’t yet fast enough to take the fight to Mercedes.
Danner thinks this situation will be weighing on Leclerc’s mind as he considers what comes next. The former F1 driver feels things might have unfolded differently if Leclerc had chosen Red Bull earlier in his career.
Christian Danner says Charles Leclerc would have ‘major successes’ if he raced for Red Bull
Red Bull reached out to Leclerc’s camp last year as they were preparing for the possibility of Max Verstappen leaving the team. Speaking to Motorsport-Magazin, Danner said that Leclerc might have had ‘major successes’ had he made the move to Milton Keynes.
“Charles Leclerc is indeed underrated when it comes to his actual performance,” Danner said. “This is partly down to the fact that the regulations are what they are this year, and he can no longer show in qualifying what he’s actually capable of.
“Of course, it’s also down to Ferrari, no question about it. They’ve obviously kept putting a bit of a brake on things time and again. A Leclerc who had, say, driven for Red Bull or McLaren for years would certainly have a few major successes to his name by now.
“And, on the other hand, there’s one thing we mustn’t forget. Leclerc is also a bit of a self-made man, so staying at Ferrari has various advantages and various disadvantages. I reckon he knows exactly what he’s capable of.
“And what’s even more important, the people at Ferrari know that too, and they pay him a salary to match. So yes our viewer is right. He’s a bit underrated there.”
“On the other hand, he’s so well paid that I actually think he’s ended up in a compromise that isn’t the worst, though I’m absolutely certain he keeps asking himself: ‘Isn’t there another solution? Can’t I go somewhere where things are moving in the right direction?’”
Why Christian Danner believes Leclerc is taking the right approach with his future
With Verstappen’s departure from F1 after 2026 becoming increasingly likely, Red Bull now appears more interested in signing Carlos Sainz than his former Ferrari teammate.
But Danner thinks Leclerc is right to take his time making a decision. Ferrari has shown signs of progress this season, and there’s still a chance they could give him a competitive car in the near future.
“Honestly, I don’t think that’s the stupidest approach he’s taking, because it’s quite possible that Ferrari will get the hang of the corner at some point and then he’ll be in the right place,” he said.
“And I think it’s clear to me that if I were in a situation like that I’d think about it: ‘Right, where do I actually want to go?’
“Well, I want to go to Mercedes, but only since this year. Last year it wasn’t that exciting, and I think waiting is probably the smartest solution, which is probably what I would have chosen as well.”
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