Ralf Schumacher heaps the blame on Charles Leclerc, calls it “his fault” for poor Qualifying results at Canadian GP

Ralf Schumacher holds Charles Leclerc solely accountable for embarrassing Q2 exit at Canadian Grand Prix

Ralf Schumacher heaps the blame on Charles Leclerc, calls it “his fault” for poor Qualifying results at Canadian GP

Ralph Schumacher (Image credit: T-Online) and Charles Leclerc (Image credit: Autosport)

At last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc did not switch to Intermediates from soft tyres. This resulted in a second consecutive failure in making it into Q3 for the Monegasque driver. Charles Leclerc voiced his frustration on the radio due to not being permitted to set a lap on soft tires as the track dried up.

However, former F1 driver Ralph Schumacher held the Ferrari driver responsible for the error made. Schumacher told Sky Germany that as a driver, he decided the timing of tire changes. He mentioned that it was Leclerc’s responsibility as the driver to assess the wetness or dryness of the conditions accurately. Particularly considering the high number of mistakes made by both Ferrari drivers.

YouTube video

Ralf Schumacher also expressed his disapproval of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz frequently shouting on the radio, as it creates the perception of discord between the drivers and engineers. He also suggested that Ferrari needs to address this issue.

FS Video

“As a driver, I made the decision about when to come in for tyres,” said Schumacher. “Only the driver can really see how wet or dry it is. So, it’s Leclerc’s fault, especially as both the Ferrari drivers are making too many mistakes,” Ralph further continued. “I also don’t like the way Leclerc and (Carlos) Sainz are often yelling on the radio.

Also read: Ralf Schumacher urges Charles Leclerc to DITCH Ferrari and join Aston Martin to become F1 World Champion

“We can’t afford to make these mistakes again” – Charles Leclerc expresses disappointment after a consecutive qualifying failure

]
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (Image credit: Eurosport)

It was another qualifying session to forget for the Scuderia after Charles Leclerc yet again did not make it into Q3. The team urged him to complete a banker lap on Intermediate tires, despite the track being dry enough to use soft tires. Before completing a lap in Q2, Leclerc via his radio said that the track was suitable for soft tires. However, Ferrari remained stern on their earlier request.

After the Canadian Grand Prix, Charles expressed his concerns over the Ferrari repeating their mistakes. He also mentioned that this wasn’t the first time his team had made such an error. However, come race day Ferrari’s brilliant strategy led the Monegasque to finish the race in P4.

 “We can’t afford to make these mistakes again,” said Leclerc. “I don’t understand it. It’s not the first time we’ve messed up like this,” he concluded

After a decent P4 and P5 classification for the Ferrari drivers, the team are currently 4th in the constructors’ standings, 32 points behind Aston Martin. Carlos Sainz’s consistency has placed him in 5th place ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc in P7 with 54 points. After an improved performance at the Canadian GP, the Scuderia will hope to carry on the momentum to Austria.

In case you missed it: