‘Disappointed’ Charles Leclerc Reacts to Paying the Price for Ludicrous Ferrari F1 Strategy

Round 13 of the Formula 1 championship concluded in Budapest, and the number 13 was unlucky for Charles Leclerc. Either a driver error, car reliability, or a pit strategy call has been the thorn in his side this season. At the Hungaroring, it was the Ferrari strategy that robbed him of taking maximum points.

The Monegasque started the race in P3 after a sub-optimal qualifying on Saturday. However, he was very much the favorite to win the race, given the exceptional pace of the F1-75. He found himself in the race’s lead by overtaking Russell and managing the Pirelli rubber exceptionally well.

However, on his final pit stop, the Italian crew put on a hard compound on car number 16, which cost him dearly. After joining the track with fresh rubber, Leclerc was a sitting duck against his rivals. He never brought life into the hard tires and that saw him lose position to his rivals, Verstappen and Russell.

Crossing the finish line in P6 disheartened him and he commented on it in the post-race F1 live show. In the media interview, Lawrence Barretto asked “Considering what the pace of the car looked like in those early stages, just sum up your race run right now as it just went downhill from the first stint.”

Leclerc said “Very very disappointed obviously. The pace was really good on medium tires, the second stint also, everything was under control. Then we decided to stop for the hard, which I don’t exactly know what are the reasons behind these decisions yet.”

“But we will speak with the team, for me to understand. But clearly, it wasn’t the right decision and I am very clear that I felt good on the medium, so I don’t exactly know what happened.”

READ MORE: F1 World Left Raving Mad as Ferrari Yet Again Destroy Charles Leclerc’s Race With Another Strategic Blunder

Barretto further asked, “It has obviously been a few difficult races, but that window came at the right time when you go into the summer break. How are you feeling? Is it important for you to get a bit of a break?”

The Ferrari driver replied, “Yes, but on the other hand I feel very motivated and I just want to get back in the car and win again. So, yeah today hasn’t been good, last Sunday hasn’t been good, but the pace is there. We just need to put everything together because there is always something going wrong and we need to get on top of this.”

How can Charles Leclerc help Ferrari win the championship?

This is not the first time in the season that the Maranello outfit has been the reason for the 24-year-old’s downfall. The poorly executed strategies of the team have led to many confusions during GPs and have held back their drivers from taking the fight to rivals.

In the pinnacle of motorsport, a driver’s success depends on its team and vice versa. This is a team sport where even the people working back in the factory are as much responsible for the team’s triumph as the driver in the cockpit.

The Ferrari can not really afford such mistakes as it costs them valuable points in the championship. Mercedes and Red Bull have been exceptionally consistent this season and are taking up the big points while the Italians make mistakes.

The F1 journalist concluded the interview by asking the remedy to these intra-team problems “How are you going to do that, how do you do that?”

Leclerc replied, “By speaking with the team obviously, and first understand our mistakes and then get better.”

Watch This Story: Charles Leclerc Extends 6-Year Monaco GP Curse by Wrecking Iconic Lauda Ferrari Chassis

With 9 races remaining in the championship, the F1 heads into the summer break. A three-week gap before the next race can really help the team and the driver reset and come back with a positive mindset. Do you think the title ambitions are over for Charles Leclerc?