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

Sainz became the only non-R๊ed Bull driver to win an F1 grand prix last season when hꦅe claimed victory in Singapore.

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

Asked if he was ruling out the Ferrari duo as top chalꦑlengers ꧟to Max Verstappen, Schumacher told the  podcast: “For me, yes.

“It could be possible but, the drivers?

“You never know what they will do.

“They lead a race and they spi♕n 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 reason for optimism at the Italian🎀 team.

“Fred Vasseur is do▨ing a good job at Ferrari,” he said of the team principal who will take charge of his second season in 2024.

“You can see the group is growing together. There are less mistakes. Very good pit stওops.

“But꧅, at the moment, I do not see themও as the biggest contender.

“Maybe I am wrong.

“You will see at the first test and in the fir✨st tw🀅o races. It will be easier to judge.”

Leclerc finished fifth, and Sainz seventh, in the 2023 F1 stan🐭dings.

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

There is hope in Italy sur🤪rounding the 676, their F1 2024 car.

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

Ferrari are also busily trying to agree new contrac🌺ts to reaffi꧒rm their faith in the drivers who Schumacher doubts.

Leclerc’s deal is reportedly taking priority, before Sainz’𒀰s will become the focus.