Ferrari: the mistake that cost Charles Leclerc a podium finish | Spain telemetry data. It is easy to identify a clear mistake made by Ferrari in Spain.

Ferrari, what a strategy error!

By analyzing the telemetry data, we can see that Charles Leclerc’s pace is similar to that of Lewis Hamilton.

However, when the Mercedes driver pits, he gains an average of 1.5 seconds per lap – exploiting the greater grip provided by the new tires – for 7 laps, thereby accumulating a 10-second advantage.

Charles Leclerc only partially recovered this advantage after making his own tire change, lapping on average 0.7-0.8 seconds faster.

Towards the end, the Ferrari driver’s pace was superior, despite not having a significant tire difference. This suggests that overall, Charles Leclerc had the potential to beat Lewis Hamilton.

Clearly, there are many variables to consider, such as a possible staunch defense from George Russell to help his teammate, but at least mathematically speaking, Ferrari lost an opportunity.

The same can be said for McLaren with Lando Norris: generally faster than Max Verstappen, the Englishman did not win the GP precisely because he chose the same strategy as Charles Leclerc.

In summary, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes managed to beat their respective opponents thanks to a better race plan. It shows that in Formula 1, having the fastest car is not the only thing that matters.