Ferrari’s 2024 Method 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, which was marked by graining points however nonetheless resulted in a podium end, turned overshadowed by post-race frustration from one among its drivers, Charles Leclerc. Following the occasion, the Monegasque driver brazenly expressed his discontent, revealing that he felt sure inner agreements throughout the group had not been upheld.
Charles Leclerc, who crossed the road simply over two seconds behind his teammate Carlos Sainz, who secured third place, had skilled a number of place adjustments between them all through the race. After the chequered flag, Charles Leclerc unleashed his frustration in a heated outburst, which race engineer Bryan Bozzi tried, however finally failed, to interrupt.
Bozzi: Charles, you probably did your job… okay, thanks.
Leclerc: Yeah. Yeah-yeah. Yeah, I did my job, however, uh… being good f***s me over all of the f***ing time. All of the f***ing time. It’s not even being good, it’s simply being respectful, I do know I want to-
Bozzi: Charles.
Leclerc: -shut up, however at one level it’s at all times the identical. Oh my f***ing God.
Bozzi: Okay. However anyway, you probably did the suitable factor for the group.
Bryan Bozzi then reiterated his directions to Charles Leclerc to deal with selecting up rubber, to which he obtained a response that was each sarcastic and pissed off: “yeah-yeah, f*ing decide up what the fk you need.” Whereas this reply appeared to mirror Charles Leclerc’s irritation, it might not have been supposed as a public message. Shortly after, Leclerc apologized for having left his radio on and rapidly modified the topic, inquiring about McLaren’s efficiency and George Russell’s race-winning margin.
Nevertheless, Charles Leclerc’s feedback after the race made it clear that there was an underlying problem, although its specifics remained unclear on the time.
Each Ferrari vehicles struggled with vital tyre graining in the course of the first stint on the medium tyres, attributable to their aggressive pursuit of Russell, who had managed to maintain them behind regardless of their makes an attempt to go. Leclerc had willingly allowed Carlos Sainz to overhaul him throughout this section, as his personal tempo was poor, however the Spaniard quickly confronted the identical tyre degradation and misplaced efficiency.
In what he thought was an act of group assist, Leclerc sacrificed his place, just for Carlos Sainz to expertise an analogous drop-off in efficiency, permitting the Monegasque driver to reclaim his spot simply earlier than the second pit stops. Carlos Sainz then made his pit cease, however Ferrari was not totally ready, forcing him to take an additional lap and finally undercut Leclerc by three laps.
When Charles Leclerc exited the pit lane after his second cease on lap 31, Ferrari knowledgeable him that it might be “actually shut” with Carlos Sainz, who was now on more energizing, correctly heated tyres. Ferrari additionally advised Leclerc twice that Carlos Sainz had been instructed to not overtake or put Leclerc below stress, permitting Leclerc to deal with managing his tyres. Regardless of these orders, the long run Williams driver handed Charles Leclerc on the subsequent nook.
Charles Leclerc, visibly displeased, sarcastically steered that Ferrari “possibly strive in Spanish” earlier than following Carlos Sainz to the end line.
Although Charles Leclerc didn’t straight tackle his frustration in interviews with the written press, Sky Sports activities pressed him on the matter, prompting additional dialogue.
“Just a bit bit [of frustration],” he admitted – “It’s okay. Each time there may be this type of frustration there may be not the background for everyone and there’s no want for me to enter any particulars of every thing that’s mentioned so I gained’t go additional into that dialogue. Irritating, sure, but it surely doesn’t change something for the group. It’s irritating for the drivers’ [championship], a second place is at all times good, however on the finish of the day it’s okay.”
The present standings within the drivers’ championship present Charles Leclerc trailing Lando Norris by 21 factors, putting him within the highest achievable place now that Max Verstappen has already secured the 2024 title. In the meantime, within the constructors’ championship, Ferrari is locked in a battle with McLaren, having narrowed the hole to simply 24 factors after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with solely two races remaining within the season.
Charles Leclerc’s responses, together with these made throughout an interview with Sky Sports activities Italy, steered that his frustration wasn’t solely concerning the particular instruction given to Carlos Sainz, however probably associated to a broader pre-race settlement. Nevertheless, Ferrari has not offered any readability on the small print of this supposed association.
When requested about Leclerc’s dissatisfaction, Carlos Sainz, who can be leaving Ferrari on the finish of the season, made it clear that he believed nobody at Ferrari was proud of how the race had been dealt with. One in every of his key factors of frustration was the group’s failure to be prepared for his second pit cease, however equally vexing for him was the truth that he had been urging the group to name him in in the course of the laps main as much as the cease, solely to be ignored.
“I believe he grained the medium tyres and I managed to get forward earlier than the pitstop on mediums. Then I did grain my hards, he [Leclerc] was coming fast behind me, and me anticipating what it was going to be, a state of affairs – as a result of Lewis [Hamilton] was straight behind Charles on the time, and I used to be fairly positive the group was going to ask me to let Charles by, as a result of he was faster on the time, as I used to be on grained tyres. I requested the group two or 3 times to field me, to get me out of the best way, and get me a brand new set of hards to verify I wasn’t shedding loads of race time by having to let Charles by after which having to battle Lewis on the similar time. For some purpose we didn’t field. I ended up having to let Charles by a lap later, and shedding loads of race time. And by the point I used to be going to field we didn’t even field.” – the Spanish driver defined on the finish of the Las Vegas Grand Prix – “So… I suppose he’s not joyful however I’m additionally not joyful by the best way issues had been dealt with on the time. And yeah, I believe nobody’s joyful right this moment within the group as a result of all of us anticipated a bit extra. I’m on the rostrum so not less than I acquired that for the group, however on the similar time I don’t assume we may’ve completed a lot better than P3 and P4 right this moment.” – he identified.
Frederic Vasseur, on his half, acknowledged that Charles Leclerc is perhaps pissed off with the state of affairs the place he was advised that Carlos Sainz wouldn’t put him below stress, solely to have Carlos Sainz overtake him moments later. Nevertheless, he emphasised that the true problem stemmed from the general problem of the state of affairs, which affected everybody concerned. The French supervisor reassured that the matter can be mentioned that night, including that it might not escalate into an issue.
He stated he was “not fearful in any respect” about any suggestion Leclerc could also be much less of a group participant going ahead: “I believe once more, it’s at all times the identical story. That they should make feedback – or they don’t should make feedback, however they’re doing feedback – within the lap, they usually don’t have at all times the complete image. We are going to focus on collectively and it gained’t be a problem.” – the Ferrari group principal concluded.
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