In the latest episode of Pit-talk, Alberto Sabbatini (journalist, motorsport specialized, editor in chief of Autosprint) shared his insights on the last round of the 2023 Formula 1 championship, the Brazilian Grand Prix, which was held at the Interlagos.
Among the various topics discussed, they talked about the incident involving Charles Leclerc during the formation lap, as the Monegasque driver experienced a problem that prevented him from participating in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Alberto Sabbatini tried to provide an explanation for the misfortune of car number 16 and offered his opinion on the possible issue that affected the Maranello single-seater.
Alberto Sabbatini’s words: The likely software problem
“In my opinion, the problem originated from the lack of care in preparing the car. All the teams have been hit by reliability issues. Even Red Bull, the top-tier team that dominated last year, had several problems with the DRS. It seems very simple to open and close the rear wing with a hydraulic system. It didn’t work because maybe, as in the case of Ferrari, they seek such extreme solutions to squeeze out that last bit of performance, and that’s when this happens. I don’t know what happened with Charles Leclerc’s car, but there was probably a blackout generated by some software that must have read something wrong and shut down everything. Otherwise, there are no other explanations.” – the Italian journalist pointed out.
Alberto Sabbatini then continued: “The hydraulic pressure returned because the car shut down at the beginning of the turn. He had the steering wheel in his hands, and the first thing he felt from the wheel was that it became hard. At the same time, the car shut down, the wheels locked, and it spun. After the impact, Leclerc tried to restart the car. He did what all drivers do when the car stops on the track, and he managed to restart everything. That’s why he said the hydraulics had returned. In reality, the whole system was back on, and the steering system was working again. However, it only lasted a few moments, and he had to stop again.” – he continued.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
The former director of Autosprint then concluded: “Why was there a blackout? It’s a mystery. He couldn’t even take the car apart because it was immediately packaged and sent to Las Vegas. They will probably find out directly there what happened.”
Leave a Reply