Charles Leclerc has two enemies: Ferrari and himself
Charles Leclerc retired at Zandvoort on Sunday, but the observation is more serious: his Ferrari had no pace and the team once again got lost in the pit stops.
What a disaster, once again! Charles Leclerc’s misfortunes at Ferrari seem to never end, and the Dutch Grand Prix was anything but an exception.
The SF-23 is already born less well than its predecessor, dominant in the first Grand Prix last season. But the shortcomings in terms of strategy have not left the Scuderia since the beginning of the hybrid era. And, at Zandvoort, Charles Leclerc received another blow.
When one joins the Scuderia, they think they are entering a legend and, in doing so, writing one. But currently, the legend tends to be more of a bar anecdote: Despite the Monegasque’s best efforts to warn his team, to prevent any silliness… nothing seems to work. The strategists and engineers persist in doing everything upside down.
It was enough to see the qualifications to realize that patience was going to be the best ally of N°16: Ferrari’s traffic management almost eliminated Leclerc in Q1, but he eventually made it to Q3… However, it is also the responsibility of the driver, no matter how talented he may be, not to spin out on his own when a good qualification is within reach. Carlos Sainz was more cautious and made it through without any problems.
Missed stops: an unfortunate habit
As mentioned in our post-Grand Prix editorial,, it seems that Ferrari is doing everything it can to mess up in the pit stops. Or perhaps they are just trying to get attention, it’s a choice.
The legendary Italian team is one (if not the) of the few to not have ready tires for their driver. The issue has not been observed for Carlos Sainz, but for Charles Leclerc, it happens almost every time for him. Granted, it has happened to the best (Red Bull, Monaco 2016 for example). But in this case, Ferrari stands out.
Especially since, at the start of the race, the Monegasque driver suffered a slight contact with Oscar Piastri, which caused him some damage. And as a result, the undertray of the No. 16 car was damaged. The last painful sight was seeing the young Liam Lawson, who was replacing the injured Daniel Ricciardo on the AlphaTauri, closing in on him. It was necessary to stop the expenses as soon as possible, because the Ferrari was miles away from where it should be.
Charles Leclerc’s result can be summed up as a disappointing zero points, which is definitely not pleasant to see. In the meantime, Carlos Sainz has overtaken him in the championship, thanks to his 5th place finish. With the Italian Grand Prix just a week away, the tifosi have reason to be worried, especially if rainy conditions are in store.
