Ferrari issues apology to Charles Leclerc for ‘unacceptable’ radio miscommunication at Monaco GP

Charles Leclerc was cost a potential podium as a result of strategic incompetence from Ferrari

Ferrari issues apology to Charles Leclerc for ‘unacceptable’ radio miscommunication at Monaco GP

Frederic Vasseur and Charles Leclerc (Credits: SI and Essentially Sports)

The Monaco Grand Prix marked a weekend to forget for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, with yet another disappointing result for the team from Maranello. Their woes on race day not only stemmed from strategic error and miscommunication but carried on from their mistakes during Saturday’s qualifying session. Leclerc was handed a grid penalty for impeding Lando Norris on a flying lap, whom Ferrari failed to warn the Monegasque about.

This resulted in him starting P6 rather than in P3 on the second row. Speaking to Motorsport.com, team principal Frederic Vasseur apologizes to their star driver. He said, “What can I do else than apologize on behalf of the team and to understand how we can do a better job, and to improve the communication between the pitwall and Charles in this condition, but on both sides.”

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This extended Leclerc’s run of bad luck at his home race. Expanding on the circumstances, Frederic Vasseur added, “But we made a mistake yesterday clearly and this cost us a lot because I think starting from P3 it could have been another race, but we have to learn from it.” He implies that starting P3 in Monaco, where overtaking is an uphill task, could potentially have secured a podium for Leclerc.

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The team’s race was marred by strategic arguments with the drivers, ultimately producing a poor result. Vasseur also took accountability rather than finding excuses, and has prioritized reviewing the situation to prevent further instances of the same from occurring.

Related: Carlos Sainz reveals he could have been “been a bit more patient” as major drama unfolded at the 2023 Monaco GP

Ferrari and Charles Leclerc’s disastrous run continues with yet another strategic debacle

Charles Leclerc (Credits:F1)
Charles Leclerc (Credits:F1)

The Monaco GP marked the second race in a row where the team failed to meet expectations. The Ferrari garage got their strategy calls wrong with Charles Leclerc once the ran began to beat down on the streets of the principality. His chances at a podium were hindered when Ferrari remained on the track for an additional lap while all other drivers made a pit stop for intermediate tires.

As a result, George Russell managed to overtake the Monegasque, putting him in P6. This is a recurring theme with Ferrari, with a strategic miscommunication costing their number one a potential win in 2022. Even the likes of Carlos Sainz suffered as a result of lack of clarity and was agitated on his team radio for the majority of the race. The team gambled, anticipating a Safety Car, which never arrived.

Leclerc’s home race curse still appears unshakeable and persistent, with the podium in Monaco eluding him since the start of his F1 career. The team remains optimistic with a long season ahead. Still, they must consolidate and improve their strategic calls to work with their drivers to secure podiums rather than be the inhibiting factor.

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