“Not Really His Fault”: Ex-Ferrari Boss Bandages Charles Leclerc’s Pain as Blame Shifts to Frederic Vasseur & Co.

Oh, the drama at the United States Grand Prix! From securing pole position to finishing sixth, Charles Leclerc had an eventful race, to say the least. But the finger-pointing doesn’t land on him this time. Cue the surprise! In a saga that should be titled “From Pole to Oh No!”, Leclerc’s promise of a win faded like an old pair of jeans. Leclerc started the race with stars in his eyes and pole under his belt. However, a snail-paced start saw Lando Norris zoom past him. You’d think that was the day’s heartbreak, but oh boy, were we in for more.

Ferrari made what can only be described as a “let’s pull a rabbit out of the hat but get a tortoise instead” move by opting for a one-stop strategy. Spoiler alert: the tortoise didn’t win this race. But if you think it’s Leclerc to blame, Peter Windsor is here to tell you otherwise.

Peter Windsor weighs in on the US Grand Prix drama for Ferrari

Just when you think you’ve got the narrative down, the racing gods chortle and toss a spanner into the works. On the list of everyone’s predictions was Charles Leclerc blazing down the track, the iconic prancing horse of Ferrari leading the charge. I mean, who would bet against him when he’s on pole? Well, dear readers, we should have remembered that in F1, it’s not just about the speed – it’s about strategy too.

Ex-Ferrari manager Peter Windsor went on record saying, “I always put Charles up there with Max and Lewis. Charles had a terrible race, but not really his fault. He had a very bad start from the pole, which you wouldn’t have expected. I would have put a lot of money on Charles leading out of Turn 1 in Austin from the pole.” And the surprises didn’t end there. As Windsor remarked, “Then, unbelievably, Ferrari put him on a one-stop strategy.”

Picture Charles Leclerc, cruising confidently on COTA, suddenly, his radio floods with unsolicited updates about Russell and Perez’s lap times. It’s like an unwanted F1 audiobook! Peter Windsor dives into Ferrari’s, let’s say, ‘questionable’ strategy: A one-stop that seemed more like a blunder than brilliance. And, as the cherry on this chaotic sundae, Charles had to yield to teammate Sainz. Our boy Charles was left scratching his head, thinking, “Why’s my race turned into a soap opera?” Maybe next time, Ferrari, less chatter, more racing!

There’s a lot Ferrari needs to introspect on. And while they’re at it, maybe send Charles a ‘Sorry’ card with a promise to do better? Because clearly, as Windsor and the rest of us can see, it wasn’t really his fault!

Read More: Max Verstappen Reprimanded by Ex-Ferrari Boss as Foul Behavior Damages F1’s Reputation

Talking about the things that Ferrari, or, maybe even Leclerc can…

Maybe Charles Leclerc ought to do a Carlos Sainz the next time

Because it’s almost as if Sainz laid down the Law to Ferrari: “Not Today!” Well, it seems like Sainz has brought out his Spanish flair to the race tracks! While the United States Grand Prix spelled dismay for Charles Leclerc with his disqualification (that illegal plank, oh dear) and a questionable pit strategy, Carlos had a clear message for Scuderia Ferrari. The Spanish sensation bagged P4 during the race, which then “magically” transformed into a P3 after Hamilton and Leclerc took a backstage exit. Abracadabra, anyone?

What was Carlos’s secret sauce? Well, the Madrid maverick wasn’t having any of that one-stop nonsense. According to MotorsportWeek, he casually remarked, “Very early on, I was trying to keep up with Lewis and Max… I destroyed my front tires.” And the solution? “Two stops felt like I could push on the tires, and I was quite solid.” There you have it, folks. Mr. Sainz knows his rubber!

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Thankfully, Ferrari saw the light (or maybe just listened to Carlos) and admitted to the strategy hiccup. Here’s hoping the Prancing Horse learns from its stumbles and keeps both its chargers in the game next time around.