Starting from a pitlane was always going to be difficult, but Ferrari pulled a Ferrari, and the Spanish Grand Prix proved to be a nightmare for Charles Leclerc as he finished P11. A series of strategic blunders by Ferrari left fans in shock and disappointment.
From the outset, Charles Leclerc found himself at a disadvantage, relegated to the pitlane after qualifying in P19. Starting the race on hard tires, Ferrari called Leclerc to pit for softs after just 17 laps, while other teams, such as Haas, opted for medium tires that lasted 15 laps, and Mercedes impressively pushed their soft tires for over 20 laps. Ferrari’s strategy appeared flawed, culminating in Leclerc ultimately being sent back on track with the same hard tires he began with.
This is the kinda weekend that will make Leclerc consider leaving Ferrari
— Benjamin (@Tiametmarduk) June 4, 2023
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The team’s questionable decisions during the race ignited rumors of a potential departure from Ferrari. Could this be the moment when Leclerc considers switching to Mercedes? Fans have voiced their opinion.
Fans react to Charles Leclerc’s setback
This performance highlighted the frustration among supporters and raised doubts about Ferrari’s ability to provide Charles Leclerc with a competitive car. The questionable decisions made by Ferrari prompted fans to express their discontent, questioning whether he should consider a switch to Mercedes or Red Bull.
He Should Go To Mercedes https://t.co/UEMG2AM1zB
— Astronaut Formula Driver 44 🏎️🏎️ (@pandoragupta44) June 4, 2023
Leclerc to Red Bull in place of Perez would be interesting
— Lloyrenzo September (@Renzoseptember) June 4, 2023
Leclec to red bull we will be there
— A (@Itachi9431) June 4, 2023
Some even went as far as suggesting a potential move to the newly established Audi team, as they sympathized with Leclerc.
Alfa soon to become Audi is the best bet.
— Rohit Andley (@rohitandley) June 4, 2023
How much patience left of Charles for Ferrari 🥺 https://t.co/UGD8aLyBs5
— C (@yepwoaah) June 4, 2023
And the tyres on his car are the same set of hards he had at the start. They make him pit twice for what could have only required one stop
— AverageS🅱️innalaEnjoyer (@SbinnalaEnjoyer) June 4, 2023
So that he has to cut through traffic again. Fml… Ferrari you really don’t need other teams to beat you
— Berliner Bä(h)r (@lucabaehr) June 4, 2023
— Katsuo (@EuphratesLake) June 4, 2023
Fan reactions following the Spanish Grand Prix indicate widespread dissatisfaction with Ferrari’s strategic decisions. The Spanish GP proved to be a disastrous weekend for Ferrari as a whole. Carlos Sainz, despite starting in an encouraging P2 position, struggled to maintain his position against the onslaught of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Charles Leclerc’s last pit stop:
Xavi: “Box for hards.”
Charles: “No no, let’s go for soft!”
Xavi: “Copy that.”
Charles: “Box anyway?”
Xavi: “Box. We are going hards.”
Charles was fast on hards in the end, but…
— Ferrari News 🐎 (@FanaticsFerrari) June 4, 2023
Just pic.twitter.com/s8TIUtS3wO
— Anas (@dr_juve2020) June 4, 2023
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Perhaps they confused the race weekend with a tyre testing session?
— Aron Uhre (@aronuhre) June 4, 2023
Ferrari needs to clean house in their strategy department, it’s not even at « joke » level anymore. #SpanishGP
— JF Brown (@TheBassNerd) June 4, 2023
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As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Leclerc and Ferrari to see if they can address their flaws and reignite their competitive edge in Formula 1.