Ferrari’s strategic gamble on a Security Automobile did not repay, admits Leclerc

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc suffered misfortune in the course of the Monaco Grand Prix, however mentioned all the things had already gone flawed earlier than the race begin.

Leclerc certified third, 0.106 seconds off pole, however began from sixth after receiving a three-place grid penalty for impeding McLaren’s Lando Norris.

“After the penalty yesterday, that’s the place all the things went flawed principally,” Leclerc informed media together with RaceFans post-race.

He completed the place he began following a race of frustrations. Each Leclerc and group mate Carlos Sainz Jnr began on Pirelli’s arduous compound tyre however made pit stops earlier than the present which arrived after lap 50.

Sainz pitted 11 laps earlier than his group mate. The one two different vehicles within the high ten to pit earlier than the Ferraris did so as a result of they began on the medium compound, then later within the race virtually each driver switched to intermediates because of the more and more quantity of water on the observe.

Leclerc mentioned the Ferraris pitted early because the arduous tyre expired sooner than they anticipated it will. “We had a cliff on the finish of the arduous tyres, which places us a little bit bit in a foul state of affairs,” he mentioned. “A cliff that we didn’t see coming, to be trustworthy, earlier than. So we’ve received some work to do on that, we all know.”

Working in shut firm with different vehicles seemingly exacerbated the issue. “Our automotive may be very tough to drive in site visitors, to avoid wasting the tyres much more.

“At first we had been fairly good at one level on the slicks, however then with the hards on the finish we had a little bit bit extra degradation. We went for the opposite set of tyres, which was okay. However once more, no room to overhaul.”

Because the rain intensified the Ferrari drivers stayed out longer on slick tyres than their rivals, hoping to profit from a Security Automobile look, nevertheless it by no means materialised.

“We went fairly far with these slicks earlier than stopping for the inters, it was a alternative that we wished as a group, as in these situations it’s very prone to have a Security Automobile at one level. It didn’t occur, it didn’t repay. It’s like this.”

Sainz, who additionally misplaced time with a spin at Mirabeau, questioned Ferrari’s strategic calls as he ended up ending eighth after beginning fourth. Though he completed forward, Leclerc thought the technique didn’t favour him extra.

“I feel it was arduous for each of us. With the good thing about hindsight, you at all times do one thing completely different. Particularly on a observe like this the place it’s very straightforward to criticise the technique after the race, I feel, as a result of for those who cease early and there’s a Security Automobile, more often than not that is what occurs,” Leclerc defined.

“Then you definitely’re like ‘why did we cease so early, we knew that this was difficult’. In the present day we waited for a Security Automobile, and surprisingly no person did a mistake and there was no Security Automobile. So it’s like this. Sure, with the good thing about hindsight, I’d have modified issues, however we don’t know once we are within the automotive at the moment. And I feel at present was the appropriate alternative.”

Whereas he mentioned it was “very particular” to be surrounded by his dwelling followers in the course of the weekend, Leclerc couldn’t conceal his disappointment at failing to succeed in the rostrum. In 5 years he has claimed two pole positions in Monaco however his finest race result’s fourth.

“After all it’s irritating. I feel any weekend like this one, anyplace it’s irritating, at dwelling it’s much more irritating. However alternatively, that’s the place we have to hold our head up.

“The season is lengthy. It’s not the one race on the calendar, regardless that it most likely means a bit greater than the others, the factors are the identical. So we have to restart once more in Barcelona, hopefully having an excellent weekend that point.”

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