Ex-Ferrari engineer SLAMS the Italian team for absurd strategy for Charles Leclerc at US GP 

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished P6 in the COTA GP despite beginning the race from the pole position. A poor tire strategy from the team for the Monegasque racer led to him losing out on positions quickly. To make matters worse, Leclerc saw a disappointing disqualification from the race due to technical issues with the underbody of the car.

Leclerc’s team decided to use a single-stop strategy, unlike the other teams that resorted to a two-stop strategy. Ex-Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola commented on the poor compound strategy of the Maranello team. The Formula Passion has quoted Mazzola commenting

Ferrari managed to lose a probable podium with an absurd strategy, and Leclerc was first in sixth. Poor Charles, the team is demoralizing him more and more.

Luigi Mazzola expressed sympathy towards Charles Leclerc and added how the team is ‘demoralizing’ him more and more. Mazzola further criticized Ferrari and said that it was ‘embarrassing’ to see the team. He further added:

It is embarrassing to see that two teams with four drivers started from the pit lane, as with only an hour of free practice, they were unable to balance the car, having brought great developments for this race.

The ex-Ferrari concluded by highlighting that following the sprint format, all the teams had only a singular practice session to find the perfect balance within the car.

Fred Vasseur admitted that Charles Leclerc’s strategy was a ‘mistake’

When team boss Fred Vasseur was quizzed about Leclerc’s blunder of a strategy, he commented that he had ‘mixed feelings’. Leclerc was ahead of Carlos Sainz in lap 12, hence Ferrari decided to commit to a one-stop strategy. On this, Vasseur said that it was obviously not a good choice.

Vasseur claimed that the team as well as Charles Leclerc were hesitant about the strategy during the race. He also added that it was not very clear before the race due to a lack of practice sessions. Vasseur also admitted that Ferrari thought that the other teams would also resort to a single-stop strategy.

Vasseur insisted that he did not want to delve into speculations about what would happen if Leclerc were to resort to the same strategy as his Spanish teammate. He took accountability and added that the team has to be vigilant about the strategies and commit fewer mistakes in future races.

In case you missed it:

• Toto Wolff takes comfort in Mercedes’ upgrades finally shining despite Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification at the US GP
• Here is how Michael Schumacher is responsible for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc getting disqualified at the US GP

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW