Ferrari “way off” going into home race with Charles Leclerc ‘frustrated’

Ferrari are “way off” heading into their crucial home race at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend, Jacques Villeneuve has claimed.

The Italian outfit head to Monza off the back of a miserable Dutch Grand Prix in which the team suffered a double DNF with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc crashing out.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton’s nightmare debut season with Ferrari continued at Zandvoort as he lost control of his car and slammed into the Turn 3 barriers, before Leclerc was wiped out by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli at the same corner later in the race.

Following an underwhelming campaign in which Ferrari have been unable to challenge for wins, there is huge pressure on F1’s most famous team going into a crucial home event.

Leclerc claimed a brilliant victory at Monza last year but 1997 world champion Villeneuve is not expecting a repeat this time.

"Normally they have a special engine, special car, but I don't expect that this year," the Canadian said on Sky Sports F1’s The F1 Show podcast.

"They are way off. The car is not working. Normally the car is kind of working. It's in the battle and then they get a little extra for Monza. A little extra won't cut it right now.”

DOWNLOAD CRASH F1 PODCAST HERE

Charles Leclerc growing ‘frustrated’

Leclerc is in his seventh season with Ferrari in 2025 and has so far been unable to compete for world championships, claiming only eight victories in that time.

Ferrari hoped to build on an impressive end to 2024 by challenging for titles this season, but even podiums have been few and far between this campaign.

This has led to rumours that Leclerc might see his long-term F1 future elsewhere, though the Monegasque has repeatedly scorned such speculation.

But Villeneuve believes Leclerc is growing “frustrated” at Ferrari with his dream of becoming world champion appearing to be no closer.

"Charles is frustrated because he's probably starting to understand that he will never be world champion. It's gone bad, it's gotten worse,” Villeneuve added.

"Next year is a whole new set of regulations and normally that's not when Ferrari is at its best, so it's a difficult situation for him.

"He's been there for a long time and his star has fallen a little bit. At least Lewis can rely on the fact that he's a multiple world champion so it doesn't matter if the star falls a little bit. He will always be that big global star anyway, that goes beyond F1.

"They might finish second in the Constructors' Championship, but they actually are the fourth horse. They are simply lucky that in Red Bull, there's only one driver scoring points and the same thing with Mercedes."