Despite Brutally Slamming Ferrari for Spain Nightmare, Dejected Charles Leclerc Still Looks at the Silver Lining

Charles Leclerc had a rather disappointing weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix as he failed to finish in the points. Following a shocking Q1 exit on Saturday, the Monegasque started from the pit lane and ended up finishing only P11. It was a weekend to forget for him and his crew.

Earlier in the season, newly appointed Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur promised to bring upgrades every race. But both Ferrari drivers struggled with their upgraded cars and lack of grip, while Mercedes made the most of it.

Leclerc Sees Light at the End of the Tunnel

The Spanish GP has not been kind to Leclerc. This is the 2nd consecutive year of him finishing outside the points at Barcelona. In 2022, he had to retire because of engine failure. This year, Ferrari’s SF-23 played spoilsport, as he had to not only battle his competitors, but the car itself.

Issues with the rear parts of the car ensured that he would start from the pit lane. Moreover, both drivers had to make their 1st pit stop way earlier than expected. Carlos Sainz, on the softs, had to pit 10 laps before the Mercedes’ on the softs did. Charles’ 1st stint on the hard tires was a struggle, with the front tires’ grip being a problem. The 2nd stint on the hard tires was better but still lacked performance.

Though Charles puts his criticisms across politely, he makes sure that no problems go unnoticed. Elaborating on the problems, he said, “A very difficult day today. Disappointing obviously. We changed all the rear parts of the car, the balance changed a lot and it was very different to yesterday.”

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The car gave him a lot to complain about. But in the end, he chose to look at the brighter side. He said, “Luckily, we had much fewer problems compared to qualifying yesterday, where the car was more doing what we expected.”

Charles Leclerc Shifts Focus to the Canadian Grand Prix

With the Canadian GP to follow, Leclerc’ and the team’s target is to only get better with each race. He has no choice but to shift focus to Montreal and rely on upgrades that will follow. Analyzing Ferrari’s new upgrade package, he said, “We have Canada next, good opportunity to try and maximize this package, but most of all try to understand those tires.”

Fans have a lot of expectations from the brand that Ferrari is. But this season has been nothing short of a disappointment. Red Bull has been in a league of their own. Keeping them aside, Ferrari is not just competing with Aston Martin, but a new and improved Mercedes as well.

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Will the Frederic Vasseur-led team make the most of the new upgrades in Canada or will it be a case of bad-to-worse for Ferrari?