Why Charles Leclerc refused to speak on team radio amid pit stop tyre call | 2023 Spain GP. Why Charles refused to speak on team radio.

It was a truly difficult weekend for the Scuderia Ferrari team at the Spanish Grand Prix. The anticipation leading up to the race was accompanied by high expectations for the Maranello-based team, as they introduced the first significant package of upgrades to the SF-23, which, according to simulation data, was expected to provide a leap forward in terms of performance and, above all, tire management.

However, those expectations were not met at the end of the customary 300-kilometer race. The two Ferrari cars did not shine in qualifying, and during the race, as seen in the early stages of the 2023 season, the chronic tire management issues resurfaced, significantly affecting the drivers’ race results.

Carlos Sainz finished the race in fifth position after starting from the front row, while Charles Leclerc finished in eleventh place (his weekend was compromised by technical issues of unknown origin during qualifying). They both trailed Max Verstappen’s Red Bull by over 45 seconds, a gap comparable to that seen in a cycling stage. Therefore, it was a weekend that did not allow the men in red to return to Maranello with a smile.

In the post-race interviews, Charles Leclerc commented on the disappointing weekend. The Monegasque driver, interviewed by Sky Sport F1, did not hide his disappointment with the outcome of the Spanish race and, in particular, his frustration with the SF-23’s inconsistent behavior with different tire compounds throughout the race.

“In the same race, we use the same tires. Today we had the hard compound: the first time we struggled, the second time they worked well. I always do things the same way, but we are really inconsistent. We have a lot of work to do.”

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Regarding the tire choice, an interesting episode occurred during Charles Leclerc’s race, involving the dialogue between him and his pit wall regarding the choice of compound for the final stint. This episode highlights the lack of consistency in decision-making within the Maranello team.

Before making the final pit stop, Charles Leclerc was called into the box by his race engineer, Xavier Marcos. In addition to the call, the engineer informed him that they will put on hard tires for the last stint.

XAVI: “Box this lap for hard tires.”

However, remembering his poor experience with the hard compound at the start, Charles Leclerc counters and asks for the soft compound, and it seems that the pit wall listens to him.

LEC: “No, no! Guys, let’s go for the soft tires.”

XAVI: “Understood.”

LEC: “So, I come in?”

XAVI: “Yes, come in.”

LEC: “Copy.”

But just as the number 16 red car enters the pit lane, Marcos interrupts over the radio and informs the driver of a change: they will indeed put on hard tires.

XAVI’: “We will go for the hard tires.”

Therefore, the decision was made by the pit wall (armed with extensive information) without considering the driver’s opinion. This decision ultimately disappoints Charles Leclerc, who, from that point on until the end of the race, refrains from any form of radio communication with his engineers.