Charles Leclerc and Carওlos Sainz will not be Red Bull’s top competition this season because they make “silly mistakes”, Ralf Schumacher says.

Sainz became the oꦜnly non-Red Bull driver to win an F1 grand p💃rix last season when he claimed victory in Singapore.

But Ferrari were not always Red Bull’s closest competitors, and they slipped behind🐠 McLaren and Mercedes by the end of the year.

Asked if he was ruling out the Ferrari duo as top challengers to Max Verstappen, Schumacher told the  podc♑ast: “For m✨e, yes.

“It could be possible but, the drivers?

“You never know what they will do.

“They lead a race and they spin off, they crash, they make 🐲silly mistakes which often surprises me.”

However, Schumacher (whose legendary brother Michael Schumacher won five championships in a row with Ferrari) does see reaso🍷n for optimism at the Italian team.

“Fred Vasseur is doing a good job at Ferrari,” he said of the team principal who will take charge of his second sea🐟son in 2024.

“You can see the group is growing togeth🅠er. There are less mistakes. Very good pit stops.

“But, at t🌜he moment, I do not see them as the biggꦰest contender.

“Maybe I am wrong.

“You will see at the first💮 test and in the first two 🔯races. It will be easier to judge.”

Leclerc finished fifth, and Sainz se♋venth, in the 2023 F1 standings.

But Ferrari’s ♐long wait to crown a drivers’ champion - their first since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 - goes on.

There is hope in Italy surrounding the 676, their F1 ꧂2024 car.

It passed its first crash test and, unlike last year, hit the weight ♛limit at it🦩s first attempt meaning they have succeeded in making their car lighter.

Ferrari are also busil🔜y trying to agree new contracts to reaffirm their faith in the drivers who Schumacher doubts.

Lecle♊rc’s deal is reportedly taking priority, before Sainz’s will become 🍨the focus.