During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Ferrari pit wall communicated to Charles Leclerc concerns about reliability. Here are the explanations gathered from the paddock in Abu Dhabi.
Throughout the Abu Dhabi GP, Ferrari’s pit wall repeatedly told Charles Leclerc to delay shifting at turns 3-4 for reliability reasons. Was the Monegasque driver at risk of retiring? What might have seemed like a routine “drive coaching” message took on a more worrying tone when the engineer emphasized this point multiple times, stressing the importance of avoiding a potential issue. As a result, paddock reporters sought to understand both the real risk of retirement for the Monegasque driver and the reasoning behind this message.
Regarding the retirement question, it was confirmed that reliability concerns for Charles Leclerc were indeed present at Abu Dhabi. However, the team made sure to inform the driver in advance, which helped avoid reaching a high risk of failure. If the mistake had continued, it would have inevitably led to a DNF (Did Not Finish).
As for the reason, it was explained that this section of the track has several bumps. When the car crosses them, the wheels momentarily lose contact with the ground, causing them to skid. Shifting at that moment puts extreme stress on the transmission components, far beyond what they were designed to handle. Therefore, subjecting these components to multiple similar stresses greatly reduces reliability, meaning the likelihood of failure. That’s why it was important for Charles Leclerc to adjust his driving promptly.
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