Leclerc expects to see Mercedes back at the top in 2023

Charles Leclerc reckons Mercedes will be competing for wins again next year. In an interview with Auto, Motor und Sport the Ferrari driver says that in his estimation Mercedes will be back in the title race in 2023.

After seven dominant years in a row, Mercedes lost the drivers' title in 2021 by a hair to Max Verstappen. The expectation then was that the German racing stable would return to full strength in 2022 but nothing could be further from the truth. George Russell still managed to achieve fairly stable results but Lewis Hamilton was more often to be found in midfield than in the front. The first win only came towards the end of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The exception rather than the rule

Ferrari took over Mercedes' place at the top of the field. Leclerc was seen as a title contender for a long time although in the end he could not match Verstappen. The Monegasque now says that, in his opinion, this season is the exception rather than the new norm. He was asked if he expects Mercedes to compete for the title again next year and Leclerc did not have to think long about that.

"I am counting on it. This season you never knew what to expect from them. You never know if they will be slow or fast. Especially in qualifying they were unpredictable, in the race they were usually a bit better positioned. I'm sure they will keep the good things about the car and be very fast."