“Horizontal line?”: Xavi Marcos under fire again after team radio misunderstanding with Charles Leclerc in China. Team radio misunderstanding between Charles Leclerc and his Ferrari race engineer in China.

The expectations leading up to the Shanghai weekend were different for Scuderia Ferrari, coming from a more than positive Japanese Grand Prix. However, the Chinese Grand Prix may have tempered Ferrari’s ambitions and brought back criticisms of Xavi Marcos after a team radio exchange with Charles Leclerc.

The track engineer for the Monegasque driver has never fully convinced the Tifosi of the Maranello team. There have been too many errors over the years compared to Riccardo Adami, who always seems impeccable.

In China, during a weekend described by Charles Leclerc himself as “disappointing,” Xavi Marcos was involved in a rather peculiar team radio exchange in the final stages of the race.

The team radio conversation under scrutiny
At a certain point in the race, Xavi Marcos asked Charles Leclerc to adjust some lines.

XM: “Try the original line in turns 7 and 8.”

CL: “What? The horizontal line?” (Charles Leclerc asks, confused)

XM: “Original, the original line.”

CL: “Did you say ‘original’?”

XM: “Exactly, try the line from the start of the race.”

CL: “What the hell does that mean?”

XM: “Just forget it, it’s the last lap”

A brief exchange that, although short, highlights some of Marcos’ limitations already revealed in the past by the Tifosi.

The issue regarding Charles Leclerc’s track engineer is one that many are calling for Fred Vasseur to address. Since his arrival, the former Team Principal of Alfa Romeo has made strong and decisive changes to certain departments. After taking control of strategies and technicians, Frederic Vasseur could soon intervene to try to fix what, if the Scuderia were to be in contention for the Formula 1 title, could be a real problem.

Here is the full team radio exchange:

"just forget it, it's last lap"

xavi trying to explain to charles that he should try the original line for turns 7/8, charles not getting it and then xavi just giving up 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/nnfiGox5VK

— clara (@leclercsletters) April 21, 2024

— see video above —

Source: f1ingenerale