Charles Leclerc, who had been pleased with the feel of the updated SF23 until the horrific Quali result, remarked, “I don’t have the answer for now.” So what actually happened over that period of time to cause Leclerc to receive his first knockout from the first round since 2019? We haven’t heard anything concrete about that up until now, but in the midst of all, Frederic Vasseur has come to light. Why? It’s because of the one-liner that has prompted the Tifosi to contrast him with Ex Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto.
The Monegasque radioed in during a brief Q1 session that was red-flagged to indicate a problem with his rear tires. After struggling to complete his first flyer, the 25-year-old continued to feel pressure to land a spot in Q2. But in the last few seconds, he was unable to move past P19, just a spot ahead of Logan Sargeant of Williams. However, before this, his final run had him in P11, but as the track accelerated, the Monegasque plummeted to 19th.
fred vasseur on canal+ “I will always trust Charles. If he says the car has a problem, he's right.”
— ₊˚ joséphine (@f1josephine) June 3, 2023
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Leclerc has been a fantastic racer, especially when evaluating a single lap. And the surprise that he was unable to make it to Q2 infuriated the Tifosi. The 25-year-old was out of sorts in the sluggish conditions, and his troubles became even more puzzling when hometown star Carlos Sainz claimed a spot behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen.
Scuderia’s divergent outcomes can’t be wholly pleasing for the team since they worked tirelessly to get significant results so they could gauge their growth. However, they fell short of getting fully satisfied. As a result of Leclerc’s suffering the scenario at Ferrari camp is confused. But the way Frederic Vasseur handled the situation and supported his driver made the Tifosi fall in love with the man. In addition, they poked fun at former Ferrari Boss Mattia Binotto.
Ferrari fans shoot at Mattia Binotto while cheering Frederic Vassuer following Charles Leclerc’s nightmare in Barcelona
Charles Leclerc was Max Verstappen’s lone rival last season as he battled for the championship, as we all are well aware of. Leclerc, though, succumbed by 150 points as a result of Verstappen’s unstoppable advantage. Driver error, strategic errors, and dependability problems were cited as the causes of this.
If the reports are to be believed, Mattia Binotto and Charles Leclerc apparently had a falling out, Leclerc was discovered to be frustrated on several occasions by the absence of team orders, especially in Silverstone and later at the Brazilian GP. The allegations that Mattia Binotto didn’t support Charles Leclerc and occasionally pretended that the genuine circumstances didn’t exist also spread widely.
This is the precise jab that the supporters are taking while hailing Frederic Vasseur who won the Tifosi people over with his one-liner. Vasseur claimed recently that he “will always trust Charles. If he says the car has a problem, he’s right.” This has allowed the supporters to poke fun at former team leader Mattia Binotto. Below are some of the responses.
That’s a good man right there. https://t.co/I3OgZqLRYn
— Michael Davidson (@_mwdavidson_) June 3, 2023
I think it's really great them to listen what he says, his opinions, but I hope they don't forget they have two drivers. I don't think it's fair to change for one and then if the other one's result is bad is just the driver's problem https://t.co/6VQNOlpWCB
— nana⁷ 🏁🌶️ (@minryujiun7) June 3, 2023
Fred is the goat binotto wouldve been like "yes yes the car is fine ☝️🤓" https://t.co/3N3RDF8lKQ
— sal 🏳️🌈 (@blondoshimmer) June 3, 2023
im so glad fred is there to support him because charles doesnt know what's it like to have a team principal in his corner as binotto was never there https://t.co/vrOhhLwLXv
— sude (@happybxrnes) June 3, 2023
binotto could never https://t.co/4xrOkDmJ4t
— kiki🌱// drive to survive era (@_m00nl1ghtbae) June 3, 2023
Fans were also seen asking the Ferrari to do something so as to enable the Monegasque to fight in the top spots.
I remain a Ferrari fan despite the disastrous year but I am still angry. They are responsible for this situation and it is sad for the fans and the drivers. I hope Vasseur will fix the problem for the futur.🥺
— Anissa (@AnissaBe03) June 3, 2023
He's literally one of the strongest drivers in qualifying, it's not like suddenly lost his skills, it's clear as day that the car is the problem https://t.co/KuFK3hbVvh
— nina (@ninalikesf1) June 3, 2023
— Ash (@mugllur) June 3, 2023
WATCH THIS STORY: What has become an Incessant Problem for Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz in Ferrari’s F1 Challenger?
Later, supporters were observed speculating that Leclerc’s decision to extend his contract might have solely been impacted by Frederic Vasseur.
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Fred would probably be the only reason why Charles would decide to extend his contract with Ferrari. But damn can they just extend next year? Test the waters first? #Formula1 #Ferrari #CharlesLeclerc #SpanishGP https://t.co/Bp4geFG1A6
— Gie-Team (@GieTeams) June 4, 2023
this is how we survive aight https://t.co/SuEJnnDl0L
— CL⁴⁴ ॱଳ͘ (@chaztinelei) June 4, 2023
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Do you think Frederic Vasseur and Co. will be able to provide a car that will be able to accommodate Leclerc to compete with drivers like Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen?