Charles Leclerc’s frustration with Ferrari has reached new heights following the recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Leclerc, who finished seventh in the race, expressed his anger over the team’s ongoing strategic mishaps and reliability issues that have plagued the start of his 2023 season.
During the race, a particularly heated exchange on team radio highlighted the growing tension. When instructed to push from a specific point after Lewis Hamilton pitted, Leclerc snapped back at his race engineer, Xavier Marcos Padros, saying, “Xavi, you need to tell me that before!” This outburst underscores the communication breakdown within the team that has been a recurring problem since last season【46†source】【47†source】.
Adding to the drama, there have been rumors about Leclerc demanding a meeting with Ferrari president John Elkann to address the disappointing performance and strategic errors seen in the opening races. These issues have persisted despite changes in team leadership, with Fred Vasseur replacing Mattia Binotto as team principal【47†source】【48†source】.
Leclerc’s visible frustration is not only a sign of his competitive spirit but also reflects deeper issues within Ferrari’s management and operational strategies. The team’s inability to resolve these problems could have significant implications for their performance in the rest of the season and Leclerc’s future with Ferrari【46†source】【47†source】.
For more details on Leclerc’s reaction and the ongoing issues at Ferrari, you can read the full articles on [The Independent](46) and [Crash](47).