Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari frustrations continue as he fumes at his race mechanic
‘This is really bullshit. I don’t know what to do! ‘: Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari frustrations continue as he lashes out at his race mechanic over the team’s confused tactics at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
- Charles Leclerc collided with the strategists of his Ferrari team in Saudi Arabia
- Ferrari driver fumed over confusion over race strategy in the Middle East
- Leclerc ranted that he should have been given instructions earlier in the race.
Charles Leclerc lashed out at his Ferrari racing engineer after a miscommunication over tactics at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah on Saturday.
The Monaco native hopes to rival reigning world champion Max Verstappen for this year’s drivers’ championship, but struggled to get as high as seventh in the second grand prix of the season.
Problems arose at the Italian racing team between Leclerc and his right-hand man Xavier Marcos Padros, who is responsible for guiding the driver’s race strategy, as the 25-year-old flew into a rage over the confusion between himself and the pit wall. .
As the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell tried to distance the gap from the chasing Ferrari, Leclerc asked for advice on what to do but later became furious at the delayed instructions he was given.
Leclerc initially ranted: ‘Being behind like this is really bullshit. I don’t know what to do!’
Charles Leclerc was not happy with his Ferrari team at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the weekend
The Ferrari driver struggled in the Middle East when he finished seventh in Jeddah
Leclerc (pictured) has been furious with his race engineer Xavier Marcos Padros over the delayed instructions
Padros previously suggested: ‘Try pushing from Safety Car Line One. Lewis Hamilton has just pitted.
However, a dismayed Leclerc retorted: “Xavi, you have to tell me that first!”
The Ferrari engineer responded briefly: ‘Copy’.
But the Monegasque driver decided to continue venting his frustration and added: ‘No, but let’s go!’
The failure to finish on the podium at the Saudi event means that Leclerc is already 38 points behind Verstappen after just two races.
Leclerc (red car) fought to match the pace set by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (black car) in the race
Leclerc was expected to challenge for the drivers’ world championship this season
Ferrari has been widely considered Red Bull’s closest main competitor this season. But that task looks extremely unlikely given the 43-second gap between race winner Sergio Perez and Leclerc at the weekend.
It’s all been a turnaround in the Scuderia squad this season after strategy issues last season saw Mattia Binotto ousted from his role as team manager.
Frederic Vasseur became the new boss at the start of the season when Ferrari made the surprise decision to go outside, however Leclerc’s latest tirade suggests there is still a lot of work to be done.
Meanwhile, Leclerc confirmed that he will no longer take part in pre-race walks at upcoming GPs after the FIA’s decision to ban drivers from riding bikes or scooters on circuits.