Charles Leclerc no longer the 'dominant championship contender' at Ferrari after Carlos Sainz's 2022 F1 British GP win, feels TV pundit

TV pundit Harry Benjamin has admitted that Charles Leclerc is no longer the 'dominant championship contender' at Ferrari after Carlos Sainz's maiden win at Silverstone. The win has helped the Spaniard close the gap to Leclerc to just 11 points in the championship standings, bringing both the drivers on a rather level playing field.

Speaking about the race, Benjamin was critical of Ferrari's decision during the race as he conceded that Charles Leclerc should have been let through sooner. There was a clear lack of thought for the long game with which Ferrari approached the race.

The TV pundit also touched upon the fact that the situation at Ferrari has become even more difficult, since the gap between the two drivers is only 11 points, it cannot be said that Leclerc is the dominant championship contender anymore. He said:

“Leclerc should have been let through sooner, he lost so much time behind him [Sainz]. I loved the fact they were able to race but if you’re Ferrari, you’re trying to think of the long game. If we’re still saying Ferrari are in this title fight, Sainz is now only 11 points behind Leclerc in the standings. I don’t think you could actually confidently say Leclerc is the dominant championship contender in that team now.

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Charles Leclerc is becoming less and less a title contender with every race

During the BBC post-race show, TV pundit Harry Benjamin admitted that Charles Leclerc was a true championship contender from the start of the season. However, with every passing race, it is becoming less and less likely that Leclerc will be considered a championship threat later on and none of that is the driver's fault. He said:

“I don’t think it’s too harsh to say Leclerc was a title contender right from the very off and the fact he’s becoming less and less so and ultimately losing the chance to fight for a title – it’s not his fault, it’s Ferrari’s.”

It must be noted that Max Verstappen had a damaged car in Silverstone and could only finish P7. This was the perfect opportunity for Ferrari to capitalize on and bring Leclerc back into the championship battle. Instead, the Maranello-based team decided to be fair towards both its drivers, which is commendable, however, it has left Charles Leclerc in a vulnerable position in the championship battle against the Red Bull drivers.