Ferrari has had a clearer picture since Monday. Now we know what really happened to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and why the issue was not discovered in Monaco. Due to a lack of time, it could not be discovered at all.
Ferrari won a pole position and a second place in the race in Monte Carlo, but gave away one victory. If Charles Leclerc had started from the best grid position with an intact car, then there is a high probability that he would have won this race. Ferrari had the ingredients: a fast car and moderate tire wear.
And yet a small detail stood in the way of the first Ferrari victory since Singapore 2019. During the analysis in the factory, a tiny crack was discovered in the wheel hub where the drive shaft starts. The damage could only have been discovered with a precise examination, for example by ultrasound.
But none of the engineers could have imagined that this component of all things could have been affected by the impact of the crash in qualifying.
Changing the gearbox would not have helped
At first, of course, the transmission was suspected. It would not be the first time in such an accident scenario that the output shaft in the differential would have been hit by the introduction of force via the right drive shaft. A change would have meant a five-place penalty for Charles Leclerc. Ferrari naturally wanted to avoid this and left the gearbox in the car after all the checks. Many spoke of the gamble was too great.
But it had nothing to do with risk: “Even if we had changed the gearbox, the damage would have occurred,” assured team boss Mattia Binotto. What then happened was an unfortunate chain of circumstances, the result of which, according to previous knowledge, would have been difficult to avoid, but which Ferrari will certainly repeat if it happened again.
After looking through the car, which arrived in Maranello on Monday morning, and after checking all the logs, it was clear that the time pressure and the uniqueness of the damage had led to Charles Leclerc’s failure before the start. The driver felt it after two kilometers while accelerating out of the Loews turn, when the load on the inside wheel was maximally relieved and still had to transfer traction.
Change not allowed out of caution
After the race, many asked themselves why Ferrari hadn’t discovered the damage or, as a precaution, replaced the entire drive. Technical Inspector Jo Bauer would only have given permission for the drive shaft, wheel carrier and hub on the left if Ferrari had been able to prove that one of the parts was damaged. A voluntary change would have automatically relegated Charles Leclerc to the bottom of the starting grid.
From the moment of the accident, time played against Ferrari. The badly damaged car did not leave Parc Fermé until 6.30 p.m. on Saturday and had to return there an hour later. Ferrari used the limited time for the first transmission checks with the boroscope and with oil samples.
No damage could be seen, but this did not mean the all-clear. The fact that Ferrari did not make a statement on Saturday evening had nothing to do with covering up for tactical reasons. One could only allow oneself a final judgment when the engine and transmission were running at a standstill.
Ferrari needed time for a possible gear change
The FIA did not release Charles Leclerc’s car until 10 a.m. on Sunday. From then on the mechanics worked against the clock. They had to repair the entire right-hand side of the car and be ready so early that after starting the engine and shifting through the gearbox there would still have been enough time to swap the power transmission if there was the slightest suspicion.
At 12:15 p.m., the engineers finally gave the go-ahead. The car was ready, the gearbox passed all tests, and both drive shafts transmitted the necessary torque.
Of course they also looked at the left side of the car. But in the hustle and bustle, there was simply no longer enough time for detailed investigations on the steel and aluminum components of the drive. Ferrari will learn from the mishap. In the event that a similar accident happens again, the procedures are changed so that there is still time for precise material checks on the components facing away from the impact. It could happen again in Baku.
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