Charles Leclerc told to “lift-off” 17 times in 24 laps via radio by Xavier Marcos | 2023 Brazil Sprint. Charles Leclerc told to "lift-off" 17 times in 24 laps via radio by his race engineer in the Interlagos Sprint.

Fifth place comeback
In the Interlagos Sprint race, Charles Leclerc was among the best drivers on the grid in terms of positions gained. Starting from the seventh grid slot, after choosing together with the team not to use the new soft tire in SQ3 to have it available for the Sunday race, Ferrari’s Monegasque driver crossed the finish line in fifth place. His performance was further enhanced by the duel he won against Lewis Hamilton in the final part of the race. Despite the decent final result, especially when compared to his teammate Carlos Sainz, who finished eighth, Charles Leclerc’s Brazilian Sprint was far from straightforward.

Like all the other teams, Ferrari had to figure out a way to manage the high tire wear, exacerbated by Interlagos’ asphalt type and the scorching heat, which raised the track temperature well above 50°C. Instructions from the Ferrari pit wall on power unit management were abundant, but in Charles Leclerc’s case, they may have gone a bit overboard, at least in terms of common sense. The Monegasque’s race engineer, Xavier Marcos, called Leclerc to order 17 times in 24 laps. It was like a continuous mantra.

The “lift-off” dictate
“We need to increase the lift-off, please. Increase lift-off.” “The lift-off you did is not enough; we need to increase it for the temperatures.” “The lift-off during the last lap was good; it needs to stay like that for all laps, please.” These are just some examples of radio messages that Leclerc received during the Sprint, practically in every lap. Ferrari’s #16, who has had tire wear and power unit management issues on several occasions during his career, reached a point where he responded sternly to Marcos. Fortunately, in the end, the Italian team likely achieved the best result possible given the circumstances.

Leclerc: “Guys, [expletive], this is too much! For the lift-off.”
Marcos: “Okay, understood. Charles, we know it’s a bit too much, but we have to do it, okay? So please continue with the lift-off.”
Marcos: “It needs a bit more [lift-and-coast] than the last lap, please.”
Leclerc: “No.”
Marcos: “Yes, please.”