In the latest development from the F1 paddock, Ferrari has offered clarity on the incident that led to Charles Leclerc‘s unexpected-pre-race crash at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Scuderia’s disclosure pinpointed a technical hiccup as the culprit behind the Monegasque driver’s premature exit from the race.

Reflecting on the incident, the team’s commentary was clear: “During the formation lap, Charles experienced an issue with one of our car systems which led to a loss of hydraulics supply, meaning he had no power steering and no gearbox command.”

Ferrari issues statement over Charles Leclerc’s DNS

At the outset of the Brazilian GP, Leclerc grappled with a sudden and untimely system failure. Ferrari’s technical team identified the issue as a loss of hydraulic pressure, an essential component for both power steering and gearbox functionality. The defect left Leclerc without crucial control over his Ferrari SF-23, rendering him a passenger as his car veered off the Interlagos circuit and into the barriers. This ultimately resulted in a DNS for Leclerc.

The situation dealt a heavy blow to Ferrari, already embroiled in a tight contest for championship points. However, the storied Italian team is not one to dwell on misfortune. In a statement showing their forward-thinking mentality and resilience, they shared, “After a long three weeks, we’ll recharge and set our sights on a strong finish to the 2023 season.”

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Ferrari faced a slew of engine reliability issues starting in 2022, leading to driver retirements and reduced engine power to prevent further problems, affecting not only Ferrari but its customer teams Alfa Romeo and Haas. Carlos Sainz’s preference for a faster, albeit less reliable car, and issues with turbochargers, MGU-H, and the turbulent jet ignition systems highlighted the challenges.

In 2023, engine problems continued as seen in early races, despite aerodynamic adjustments aimed at improving performance. Efforts like extensive dyno work were made to address these issues, with Ferrari showing confidence in the fixes and continuing aerodynamic modifications to improve the car’s performance across varying speeds.

Read More: “In My Whole Career I Never Experienced This”: Charles Leclerc Left Shell Shocked as Massive Storm Halts Brazilian GP Qualifying

Scuderia Ferrari leaves Interlagos with mixed feelings, as Carlos Sainz managed to bring home a sixth-place finish and Charles Leclerc’s pre-race retirement due to a reliability issue.

Ferrari grapples with mixed emotions after Brazilian GP

While Sainz’s performance limited the damage by contributing valuable points, the sting of Leclerc’s absence was palpable. The Monegasque driver was sidelined before the race even began, experiencing a car failure on the formation lap that prevented him from taking advantage of his front-row start.

Reflecting on the race, Carlos Sainz shared, “Unfortunately, today Aston Martin, Red Bull, and McLaren were faster than us, and P6 was the maximum. It is a big shame that Charles didn’t have the chance to start the race as we could have scored very important points against Mercedes here in Brazil.”

The team’s principal, Frederic Vasseur, expressed his frustration: “We are very disappointed because we could have scored plenty of important points for the championship, but we lost Charles even before the start due to a reliability problem, which sent him off the track on the formation lap. He would have been starting on the front row, and on top of that, we had sacrificed his Sprint chances yesterday to favor today’s Grand Prix.”

The weekend wasn’t entirely grim for Sainz, despite his start-line woes. He demonstrated tenacity by overtaking both Mercedes on the track, showcasing the capabilities of his car, and the team’s strategy when uncontested by mechanical gremlins.

WATCH THIS STORY | Ferrari’s Strategic Blunders Explained Ft. 2022 Monaco Grand Prix

As the paddock prepares to power down for a short hiatus, Ferrari is set to refocus and regroup ahead of the bright lights and high stakes of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. With the penultimate round of the season looming, it’s all to play for as teams vie for the remaining points that could make or break their championship ambitions. Ferrari, with its eyes firmly set on redemption, will no doubt be ready to bring the fight to Nevada’s glittering strip, where every turn could alter the course of this year’s fierce championship battle.