Wet weather qualifying sessions are a treat to watch, especially when the conditions keep changing throughout the session, giving way to evolving track conditions. And when this happens, drivers aren’t just responsible for putting in competitive lap times. They’re also required to make a decision as to when they think it’s good to change tire compounds. And when drivers make suggestions, their teams usually listen to them. Well, not in the case of Charles Leclerc and Ferrari. 

Coming off the back of an underwhelming Spanish GP, for which he qualified a lowly P19, Charles Leclerc was hoping for a better time out in Montreal. He looked on top of his game the entire weekend, staying close to Max Verstappen as well, making him a top contender for a front-row start. But that didn’t happen. Why? Because the same old Ferrari strategy problems resurfaced.

Charles Leclerc is “very frustrated” with Ferrari’s choices

Qualifying for the Canadian GP started in the wet. But as the session progressed and the rain stopped, the track started drying, just in time for Q2. In a fast-drying track that was going to get wet again as the rain came, most drivers wished to shift to the soft dry compound after one flying lap on intermediates. So did Leclerc. But Ferrari had other plans.

Leclerc told his team he wanted to switch to soft tires, but they asked him to stay out. They took a gamble. According to them, the track wasn’t dry enough for soft tires and would only get wetter as the session continued. So, according to Ferrari, the window to put in the fastest lap was when everyone was out on intermediates. A classic Ferrari blunder!

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While his team left Leclerc out to dry, the Scuderia called in Carlos Sainz to switch him to softs. He set a time on the softs and secured his place in Q3, while the Monegasque just couldn’t get the intermediates ready with the rain picking up. As a result, he was knocked out of Q2 after qualifying in P11.

According to the official Formula 1 website speaking in the media pen, he expressed his thoughts. Charles said, “I’m very frustrated with the qualifying. We need to improve and do a step forward otherwise, we are always going to be disappointed.” Leclerc had a solid chance to qualify somewhere in the top order, but because of Ferrari’s strategy blunder yet again, he will have to bear the brunt and fight through the field in the race. 

“Excuses Like Always”: Fans Turn On Charles Leclerc Despite Ferrari’s Blunder at the Canadian GP

Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell employed the same strategy he did and managed to make it to Q3. That fact only fueled his frustration more because the team could just as easily have listened to him and improved its chances. He added, “We are just making our life so much more difficult.” Ferrari would want to forget Saturday at the Canadian GP for more than one reason.

Carlos Sainz handed a three-place grid penalty

Saturday running in Montreal started amidst wet conditions in FP3. While Leclerc finished the session in P2, Carlos Sainz finished it with a crash into the wall. The Ferrari team had a lot of work to do to fix Sainz’s car before qualifying. But they pulled it off. With both its cars with a good chance to qualify in the top 10, the team was confident. But Sainz unintentionally impeded Pierre Gasly on a fast lap during Q1, because of which he has been handed a three-place grid penalty.

Even though he qualified in eighth, he’ll start the race in P11, one place behind Leclerc. Evidently, both Ferraris have a lot of space to make up during the race to salvage something out of their weekend. 

Ferrari is currently P4 in the championship, fighting against Aston Martin and Mercedes, with Alpine also joining the party. If it aims to finish second, the Maranello outfit has a lot of work to do in terms of strategy and communication.

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