Scuderia Ferrari’s current downturn has significantly impacted Charles Leclerc. After his splendid victory on the streets of Monte Carlo in Monaco, the Monegasque driver has only managed to score twelve points in the subsequent four rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, including the Sprint Race at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. This is a clearly disappointing tally for someone who seemed to have reignited his championship hopes following his late May win on the streets of the Principality.
Charles Leclerc has since faced numerous issues, starting with the reliability of the SF-24 single-seater. This problem plagued him throughout May, with multiple power unit changes between Imola and Monaco, culminating in a mechanical failure at the Montreal circuit that led to an unexpected and disheartening retirement.
The first real indication of Ferrari’s struggles came at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. The updates introduced there did not deliver the expected results, instead raising significant questions about the effectiveness of Ferrari’s development strategies. The re-emergence of porpoising and a sudden drop to being the fourth strongest team, behind a rapidly improving Mercedes, underscored these issues.
In the recent races, Charles Leclerc finished outside the points, including a seventh-place finish in the Spielberg Sprint. A combination of strategic missteps, aggressive moves from rivals, and a malfunctioning car has led to weeks of genuine frustration for the Monegasque driver, which has been evident in his post-session interviews.
Ferrari must support Charles Leclerc properly
Charles Leclerc has appeared noticeably frustrated, likely not anticipating such a drastic drop in performance after his Monaco win, which seems to have dampened his spirits. While this is a subjective impression, it’s clear that the Ferrari driver has been notoriously unlucky, as evidenced repeatedly over the years.
This is not to make excuses for Charles Leclerc, who bears some responsibility for mistakes like his off in Q3 in Austria and the ill-fated decision at the Silverstone circuit to switch to intermediate tires while the track was still dry. However, these errors also highlight the disarray within Ferrari, which extends beyond just technical issues.
Charles Leclerc’s frustration is understandable, but the Maranello team and fate are not helping him. The broken front wing at the start in the Austrian Grand Prix, caused by a minor collision with Oscar Piastri, can’t be blamed on him. Without his Q3 mistake, he might have gained one or two grid positions, but it wouldn’t have been a front-row start. The lack of a Safety Car further condemned him to an eleventh-place finish.
In the British Grand Prix, the decision to use intermediate tires was shared, based on specific information provided to Charles Leclerc, which unfortunately turned out to be inaccurate.
Many believe that the Monegasque, officially the lead driver for the Italian side this year, tends to overperform out of frustration with being behind Carlos Sainz and not having a competitive car. This perceived overperformance could be seen as a natural human reaction to Ferrari’s chronic and somewhat inexplicable decline.
Charles Leclerc’s talent is undeniable and it is clear that Ferrari has made the right decision by offering him a long-term contract, without lacking any respect to Carlos Sainz, who remains a very solid driver but has not proven the high levels the Monegasque has shown over the years. Charles Leclerc needs a calm environment, like any driver, in order to achieve results. Moreover, he needs a technical team capable of providing a winning car. Frederic Vasseur is restructuring, with few remnants of Mattia Binotto’s management left. Time will tell if these ongoing changes, along with Lewis Hamilton’s potential arrival, will positively shift Ferrari’s recent Formula 1 history.
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