Leclerc slates Ferrari after catalogue of errors

charles leclerc, ferrari, monaco — Photo: © LAT Images

Monaco Grand Prix

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Leclerc slates Ferrari after catalogue of errors

Leclerc went from first to fourth during the switch from wet to dry

Ewan Gale

Sunday 29 May 2022 20:00

Charles Leclerc has insisted Ferrari cannot afford to make the mistakes that cost him victory at the Monaco Grand Prix when fighting for the F1 title and conceded his fourth-place finish "hurts".

The home favourite had been in control of the race in the early stages after a delayed start due to rain, with his performance on extreme wets better than team-mate Carlos Sainz and the Red Bull pairing of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen.

But whilst Sainz was granted his wish of waiting for a switchover point between wets and slicks, Leclerc was pitted for a set of intermediate tyres, falling behind the Spaniard.

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The situation worsened for Leclerc when told to stop for slicks behind Sainz, with the double-stack costing him a podium position, leading to Sergio Perez going on to win and championship rival Max Verstappen extending his lead at the top with third.

Ferrari, however, has protested both Red Bull drivers for failing to stay to the right of the line at pit exit. If found guilty, time penalties could follow and would lead to a Sainz/Leclerc one-two.

Asked if he felt let down by Ferrari and its strategy calls, Leclerc told Sky Sports F1: "Let down is not the word. Sometimes mistakes can happen but there has been too many mistakes overall.

"In these conditions, you rely a little bit on what the team can see because you don't see what the other drivers are doing with intermediates, with dry tyres.

"I have been asked questions whether we wanted to go from extreme wets to the slicks and I said yes, but that it would be later on in the race, but I don't understand what made us change our minds and go onto the intermediates.

"We got undercut, then I stopped behind Carlos... there has been a lot of mistakes and we cannot afford to do that."

It is the first time Leclerc has finished his home race but with the result not what it could have been, the Monégasque added: "It is hard, as it has been the other years here.

"I am getting used to getting back home disappointed but we cannot do that, especially in the moment we are in now.

"We are extremely strong, our pace is strong and we need to take these opportunities. We cannot lose so many points like this. It is not even from first to second, it is first to fourth because after the first mistake, we have done another one.

"I love my team and I am sure we will come back stronger. It hurts a lot."

Leclerc explains emotional radio outburst

When Leclerc followed Sainz into the pits and saw his race slipping away from him, he let out his emotion over team radio before later shaking his head in the Ferrari garage during the red-flag delay caused by Mick Schumacher's hefty crash at the swimming pool complex.

Asked if he was frustrated by indecision, Leclerc explained: "I think the first one was a very clear decision - and a very wrong one - and from that moment onwards the mess started.

"I don't know if it is panic, I obviously don't hear all the background on the radio they had in the team. This is not up to me to judge.

"Obviously, the message I had was not clear, the last one wasn't clear because I was told to come in, then stay out.

"But I was already in the pit lane and that is where I basically let it all out on the radio and screamed because I just couldn't do anything and I knew I was gone."