The Mexican Grand Prix has not even started, yet the Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc has already slid into the role of the ‘sacrificial lamb.’ Despite speculations of a new engine for the high-altitude circuit in Mexico, Ferrari has decided against the change. Their reason? Leclerc is short on components than Carlos Sainz. “Now I can have a slightly stronger front and have more confidence in the car,” said the Monegasque, ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. But poor Charles Leclerc. He just keeps getting dragged through thorns every race weekend. But as the curtain falls over the 2023 racing season, fans have had enough.

Ferrari’s strategy was at its “finest” in the United States Grand Prix and Tifosi has not yet recovered from the fiasco. Despite being the pole-sitter, the Maranello Outfit did not have a clear strategy for Leclerc. Rather, they ‘threw him to the lions’ and left him on old degraded tires. All the while, they adopted a two-stop strategy for the Ferrari man that started in P5. But the Monegasque’s weekend was far from over. To add to his misery, he was disqualified two hours post-race for a mistake that wasn’t even his.

Apparently, it is not just the fans who’ve taken notice of the sacrificial nature of Ferrari towards Leclerc. During the Singapore Grand Prix, Mercedes George Russell was heard saying on his radio, “It looks like they’re going to sacrifice Leclerc.” Although a hilarious conversation at face value, it was a harrowing foreshadowing as the Leclerc dropped from P3 to P5 losing to the Silver Arrows. He was almost on the verge of losing his final position to Max Verstappen had there been a few more laps. Had the Italian Outfit pitted him for newer tires, the outcome might have been different.  

And as the genius Ferrari strategy unfolds a day ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, angry fans have disapproved of the preferential treatment of Carlos Sainz against Charles Leclerc.

“Genius strategy,” fans unhappy with prejudice against Charles Leclerc at the Mexican GP

Mexico is the highest circuit on the F1 calendar and thus has a peculiar characteristic of having top speed & high downforce at the same time. Every team opts for a new engine & PU when they come to Mexico City due to the thin air at the high altitude. Apparently, Ferrari missed the memo this year for Charles Leclerc & it may compromise his weekend.

Ferrari has witnessed a fair share of its engine problems. 2023 started with a rather bad engine-related retirement in Bahrain that hinted at more of the same for the Scuderia.

While this may not be a differentiation of treatment between Sainz and Leclerc, fans certainly seem to think so.

Leclerc’s struggles at the Maranello outfit have just persisted & amplified in the past couple of years. Given the kind of roller coaster 2023 has been for them, it doesn’t seem Mexico may be anything different.

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Even in 2022, Ferrari struggled at F1’s highest track & had an anonymous race in the midfield.

One of these fans really believes in the Sainz bias narrative. Still, it is difficult to fathom if the Scuderia may want to handicap its leading man Leclerc just like that.

WATCH THIS STORY: Charles Leclerc Picked as the Perfect Replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes Despite Disturbing “Issues” in His Head

Do you think Ferrari has switched its bias towards Carlos Sainz?