Disastrous weekend
After the difficulties that emerged in free practice and then above all in yesterday’s qualifying, even Sunday in Zandvoort was completely forgettable for Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque of Ferrari experienced a nightmare race, which culminated in a early withdrawal after some damage to the underbody of the car had made the SF-23 #16 an easy target for anyone on the track, so much so that Leclerc fell to the back of the pack, also behind rookie Liam Lawson with the AlphaTauri.
Right choice, wrong execution
However, the troubles for the talented Ferrari driver had already started from the first lap. In the sudden downpour that hit the Dutch track a few moments after the start of the race, in fact, Leclerc first slightly damaged the front wing of his Ferrari in contact with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren and then decided at the last minute to pit to switch from slicks to intermediate tyres. An apt call which, if done correctly, would have put him in the fight for the very first positions. Unfortunately, however, the mechanics weren’t ready to welcome him with the correct tyres.
Leclerc lost over 13 seconds during this first stop and the mechanics, evidently taken aback by the situation, weren’t even quick enough to replace the damaged spoiler of the Monegasque, who therefore returned to the track with a car that was anything but performing. At the end of his race, Leclerc presented himself to the microphones of Sky Sports F1 and expressed his own version of events, claiming the decision to return to the pit lane at the end of the first round and explaining the reasons for the inevitable early withdrawal.
Leclerc’s analysis
“Let’s say the call in the first round was right – confirmed Leclerc – even if we wasted time because we weren’t ready. The call was mine. Overall we have gained more than lost. I had a little contact with Oscar afterwards, but this had a huge influence on the car. We lost more than 60 points and there was nothing more we could do. I didn’t see exactly where we hit, but it was a very important part of the car and we lost a lot“, he concluded.
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