When the going gets tough, the real character of a team and its members comes to the forefront. Today, at the Dutch Grand Prix, Ferrari and Charles Leclerc had a point to prove. The 2023 season has been a massive disappointment for everyone back at Maranello and the Tifosi, all around the globe. Leclerc was already starting from 9th on the grid, and as soon as 3/4ths of the first racing lap was done, it started to pour down at Zandvoort.

Naturally, in such a high-stakes situation, you’d expect a team like Ferrari to be on their toes. However, what ensued as Leclerc drove his car into the pits was an embarrassing summary of what the Scuderia has become of late. As the Monegasque trundled into the pits, the team wasn’t ready with the intermediate tires! As a consequence of a painfully long pit stop, he fell back into the pack and an eventual incident on the track left his floor damaged enough for the team to retire him from the race.

After the disastrous blunder, Charles Leclerc speaks up on his Ferrari future

Leclerc made an early trip to the media pen after he retired from the Dutch GP. And with a whopping $204,000,000 renewal offer on the table, Leclerc was brutally questioned about his stance now that Ferrari has gone and ruined his afternoon once again.

To that question, Leclerc firmly replied, “For now this is not the question. We really need to focus and try to improve as a team. As I said, I love Ferrari. My dream goal is to win the world championship with the team. I will do absolutely everything for that.”

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Read More: Fred Vasseur Hides Behind Lewis Hamilton’s Misery to Defend Charles Leclerc’s Dutch GP Debacle

For everyone who was witnessing the chaos in the Ferrari garage, the blame was clearly on the Scuderia’s neck. But Leclerc’s vote of confidence may actually have been an admission of guilt.

Leclerc clarifies Ferrari’s embarrassing Dutch GP gaffe

As the rain started to pelt down with anger, all the 20 drivers and their respective teams had a decision to make. Should they brave it out for a few laps on the dry tires, or dash into the pits for a set of intermediates? With the benefit of hindsight, Leclerc revealed what transpired during the lap 1 blunder that actually ruined his entire race.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 in the media pen, Leclerc actually pinned the blame on himself. He revealed that it was actually he who made a late call to dive into the pits. However, he did admit that the team could have “optimized” the situation by keeping his pit crew ready, anyway. According to him, in the end, even after the pit-stop gaffe, he lost less than what he would’ve if he had stayed out.

WATCH THIS STORY | How Long Will Charles Leclerc Wait for Ferrari–Will He Leave for Some Other Team Post-2024? 

This time around, it seems as though Ferrari were innocent. But should Leclerc start looking at other options given the bigger picture?