Charles Leclerc has been Ferrari’s leading driver more or less since he arrived at the team six years ago.
But over that time he’s often found himself at odds with the team on his radio. His frustrations at their strategy calls, indecision over team orders and other errors have spawned endless memes.
Ferrari haven’t stood still during that time. They’ve raised their game strategically and made other changes which had a positive impact on how they run their races.
But a survey of the stress points over Leclerc’s seven seasons of radio chatter at Ferrari also show there is one change he could make to avoid a problem he keeps encountering.
The fight to be number one
When Leclerc joined Ferrari in 2019, team principal Mattia Binotto made it clear their junior driver was expected to play a back-up role to his four-times world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel. But from their first race together it was clear Leclerc’s speed was going to give the team headaches.
2019 Australian Grand Prix
Ferrari issued ‘hold position’ orders when Leclerc closed on Vettel at the end of the race. He obeyed, but lost around 17 seconds while following his team mate home in fifth place.
Leclerc
Shall I stay behind Sebastian? Yes or no.
Marcos Padros
Yes. Back off to have some margin.
Leclerc
OK.
Marcos Padros
Cool down the tyres.
Leclerc
Tyres are not that warm.
“It’s not the first time that the pit wall asked to freeze the race there and make sure you bring the cars home,” said Vettel after the race. “I don’t think this was a strong team order.” It was far from the last time the team intervened on the radio during 2019.
2019 Bahrain Grand Prix
Leclerc took pole for the next race in Bahrain and, after losing the lead to Vettel at the start, closed on his team mate rapidly. Ferrari ordered him to “stay there for two laps,” but instead Leclerc passed his team mate around the outside of turn one.
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2019 Chinese Grand Prix
Leclerc remained willing to obey Ferrari’s orders when he agreed with them, such as in Shanghai, where he again let Vettel past. However the change of positions left him close to Max Verstappen, and Red Bull seized the opportunity to get him ahead of Leclerc through the pit stops.
9
Marcos Padros
Charles, Can you go faster? Can you go faster?
Lap 9, approaching turn six
9
Leclerc
[Unclear] …yet.
9
Marcos Padros
So we need to push. Push now.
Exiting turn six
9
Marcos Padros
We need to go faster otherwise we’ll let Sebastian past.
On back straight
9
Leclerc
Yeah but we are both… OK. Let’s see in two laps. But okay.
9
Marcos Padros
Copy
9
Marcos Padros
Charles, Can you go faster? Can you go faster?
Lap 9, approaching turn six
10
Marcos Padros
Let Sebastian by.
On back straight
10
Leclerc
But I’ve done it now. I’m pulling away.
10
Leclerc
I’ll let him by
Pit straight
11
Marcos Padros
Copy
Afterwards Leclerc said he would consider when he felt it necessary to follow the team’s instructions. “Obviously there will always be team orders in Formula 1,” he said. “It depends on the situation. In some situations I will.”
In Spain Ferrari swapped their drivers around twice, partly due to the effect the Safety Car had on their strategies. Even at this early stage in the season, Vettel was tiring of the discussion around the team’s strategies, but there was more to come.
Ferrari swapped the running order of its drivers twice during the Spanish Grand Prix as its cars finished fourth and fifth in the race. Vettel let Charles Leclerc pass him early in the race and Leclerc was told to allow Vettel past later on.
Vettel: “Charles was on a different strategy and with the Safety Car obviously his strategy was thrown to bits. But I think we tried to work together as much as we can but obviously every time we try to do something there’s a lot of talk afterwards which maybe doesn’t help to be a bit more reactive on the fly.”
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In Belgium Ferrari told Vettel to let Leclerc past, as he was on a different strategy, having pitted from the lead six laps after Vettel. Leclerc went on to take the team’s first win of the season, and his first grand prix victory.
He followed that up with a second at Monza. But team principal Mattia Binotto’s remarks after the race indicated the discontent behind the scenes. “Oggi sei perdonato,” Binotto told him in Italian, meaning ‘today you are forgiven.’
“It means that whatever happens in the last days that we discussed – that’s something that will remain between our three – at least today he did a good job,” Binotto said afterwards by way of explanation. Leclerc had benefited from a tow from his team mate on his first run in Q3 but Vettel was unable to receive the same advantage on his final run as neither began their final laps on time, and Leclerc only moved ahead of his team mate at the end of their preparation lap.
2019 Singapore Grand Prix
At the next round, Leclerc should have scored his third win in a row. He led Vettel over the opening 19 laps in Singapore.
But when Ferrari pitted Vettel before Leclerc, it allowed him to jump ahead of his team mate through the ‘undercut’. Leclerc was not impressed, and the team’s sporting director Laurent Mekies appeared on the radio to placate him:
37
Leclerc
To be completely honest with you I don’t understand at all the undercut. But whatsoever I will discuss after the race. Anyway.
37
Laurent Mekies
Charles it was the best thing we could do. Head down, the race is long. Let’s concentrate on Safety Car. You are doing a super job. Watch your tyres and head down.
37
Leclerc
Yeah my head is down and it will be down until the race. But I just want to let you know my feeling.
37
Laurent Mekies
Yeah it’s all good, Charles. You will understand after the race.
37
Leclerc
Then we can fight, right?
37
Marcos Padros
PauseDon’t risk anything. You can attack, but don’t risk anything.
37
Leclerc
Copy.
Leclerc demanded an explanation from Ferrari but Binotto was unhappy with his driver’s radio complaints. “There are some things that should not be said on the radio because at the end it would not have changed our decision,” he stated.
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2019 Russian Grand Prix
In his second season as an F1 driver, Leclerc scored more pole positions than anyone. At the 16th round in Sochi he scored his fourth in a row, but on the long run to the first braking zone Vettel moved ahead of him.
Ferrari agreed before the race that if the two drivers made identical starts off the line Leclerc would be allowed to keep his lead. They therefore told Vettel to let him by. Vettel refused, even after Ferrari issued no fewer than five separate instructions.
2
Marcos Padros
So Charles start performance was the same and we are looking to do the swap further into the race.
2
Leclerc
Yes, no problem, at least I understand.
3
Marcos Padros
Safety Car in this lap. Try to maximise full throttle and K2 on.
5
Leclerc
Gap to behind is fine now.
5
Marcos Padros
Copy, understood.
5
Marcos Padros
Sebastian will let you by next lap.
6
Marcos Padros
Lap six: Vettel leads Leclerc by 1.37 seconds and Hamilton by 4.0 seconds. Message to Leclerc on pit straight.Sebastian will let you by.
6
Leclerc
Where?
6
Marcos Padros
We’ll do it next lap.
7
Marcos Padros
Turn one.Sebastian will let you by.
7
Leclerc
When?
7
Marcos Padros
Try to close the gap and we’ll do it next lap.
7
Leclerc
You put me behind. I respected everything. We will speak later. But now it’s difficult to close the gap, obviously.
8
Marcos Padros
So he should let you by this lap, will let you by.
9
Marcos Padros
You need to try to close the gaps.
9
Leclerc
Yeah guys but I mean…
9
Laurent Mekies
Charles we will do the swap a bit later on. Lewis is a bit close and we want to push now. We will do it later. Just focus on your race. Thank you.
9
Leclerc
I completely understand. The only thing is that I respected, I gave him the slipstream, no problems. Then I tried to push at the beginning of the race but I overheated the tyre. But anyway, it’s no problems. Manage the situation.
Eventually Leclerc moved ahead of Vettel through the pit stops. It was the clearest sign yet the balance of power had shifted at the team. Four races later in Brazil the pair collided while disputing fourth place.
Leclerc ended the season 24 points ahead of Vettel in the championship. During the off-season Ferrari handed him a new, five-year contract. Before the postponed 2020 season began, Ferrari announced it would be Vettel’s final season driving for them.
Championship fights and strategy errors
In Carlos Sainz Jnr, Leclerc’s new team mate was clearly capable of running him close. But the pair had to forget about fighting for wins for much of the next two seasons as their car wasn’t competitive enough.
That changed in 2022 when Leclerc’s successes in the opening races propelled him into the lead of the championship. It didn’t last, however, as Verstappen and Red Bull fought back, and tactical errors crept in at Ferrari, which became a fresh source of radio angst.
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2022 Hungarian Grand Prix
One of the most conspicuous errors occured at the Hungaroring, where Ferrari hoped to keep Leclerc ahead of Verstappen by switching him to hard tyres. But the Red Bull driver passed Leclerc easily as he struggled to wring any performance from the harder rubber. Adding insult to injury, when Verstappen spun and fell behind Leclerc, he was able to easily re-pass him.
Lap: 40
Marcos Padros
So behind we have Perez and Verstappen, Verstappen with new medium.
Marcos Padros
Verstappen behind with DRS.
Leclerc
Verstappen passes himFuck, the tyres are shit.
Lap: 41
Marcos Padros
Still a long race to go.
Marcos Padros
Verstappen spins and falls behind himSo gap to Verstappen behind 1.2.
Lap: 42
Marcos Padros
Gap to Verstappen 1.3. And 28 laps to go.
Lap: 43
Marcos Padros
Gap to Verstappen 0.8.
Marcos Padros
Gap to Verstappen 1.0.
Marcos Padros
Verstappen behind with DRS.
Lap: 44
Marcos Padros
Gap to Verstappen 0.7.
Marcos Padros
Verstappen with DRS.
Lap: 45
Leclerc
Verstappen passes him againThese tyres are shit.
2022 Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying
Ferrari’s strategic miscues did not affect Leclerc exclusively, but he did suffer some of their more mortifying mistakes. The closing stages of qualifying at Interlagos that year was a case in point: With rain threatening, Ferrari sent Sainz out on slicks and Leclerc out on intermediates, effectively guaranteeing one of their drivers would be on the wrong strategy.
When Leclerc saw all his rivals lining up for the start of the session on slicks he must have realised it would be him. Compounding their error, when Ferrari tried to call Leclerc in at the end of his out-lap to switch to slicks, they told him too late to reach the pit lane entrance, and his qualifying session was ruined.
Leclerc
There is absolutely no rain for now.
Marcos Padros
Raining at turn 12, we believe.
Leclerc
Yes but not enough. Let me know.
Marcos Padros
Push, I will let you know.
Leclerc
Turn 13[Unclear]
Marcos Padros
Box now, box now! Box, box, box!
Leclerc
Leclerc has already passed the pit lane entranceNice. Nice one. Let me push now.
The disappointment of going from championship leaders to distant second-place finishers in 2022 prompted management changes at Ferrari. Frederic Vasseur arrived as team principal in place of Binotto and among his early changes was a shake-up of the team’s strategy division. It has made noticeable improvements in its strategies since.
Another significant change followed one year ago, when Bryan Bozzi replaced Xavier Marcos Padros as the voice in Leclerc’s ear. Even in their sixth year working together, Leclerc and his original Ferrari race engineer did not enjoy the kind of polished communication we’ve come to expect from long-running partnerships such as Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase at Red Bull. This exchange occured in their penultimate race together at Shanghai in 2024:
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Lap: 55/56 LEC: 1’40.882
Marcos Padros
And try original line turns seven-eight for comparison.
Leclerc
What?
Marcos Padros
Try original line turn, seven and eight.
Leclerc
I don’t understand you. How is that a line? What the hell is that?
Marcos Padros
Original line – like the beginning of the race.
Marcos Padros
Slippery track reported where you are for debris, we believe right-hand side.
Leclerc
Original line, you said?
Marcos Padros
Original, yes.
Leclerc
What the hell does that mean?
Lap: 56/56 LEC: 1’40.568
Marcos Padros
Just forget it, it’s last lap.
Strategy clashes and teamwork trouble
While Ferrari has improved its tactics for individual cars in recent seasons, it has continued to experience problems managing the often conflicting strategies of its two cars. Not least because first Leclerc and Sainz, and now Leclerc and Hamilton, have often met on track.
2022 British Grand Prix
One notable example of this occured at Silverstone in 2022. While Sainz memorably told the team to “stop inventing” with their team orders, Leclerc was also frustrated by their decision-making when he lost time behind his team mate:
17
Marcos Padros
Sainz is being told that lap time target is 32.9.
Leclerc
Yeah, but then do something, please! I’m not… I’m not trying to influence my result. I’m just, I can go faster, guys.
Marcos Padros
Copy, understood.
18
Marcos Padros
And K1 available.
Leclerc
Yeah, copy.
Marcos Padros
So Sainz is being told to push.
19
Leclerc
Yeah, copy. I try to keep my tyres but I’m just losing race time.
Marcos Padros
Copy.
20
Marcos Padros
So Sainz will box this lap.
Leclerc
Copy that.
Later that year in Brazil, Leclerc repeatedly urged Ferrari to swap the running order of their two cars but was refused. “Swapping the two cars on the last straight was certainly tricky because Charles had got Fernando [Alonso] and Max just behind,” said Binotto after the race. “So certainly it could have been tricky and [potentially] dangerous.”
2023 Australian Grand Prix qualifying
Ferrari’s efforts to co-ordinate their drivers’ runs in qualifying did not go smoothly at Melbourne in 2023. Having been told Sainz would “give him a tow on the main straight,” Leclerc was frustrated to be held up briefly by his team mate at the beginning of the lap, then fail to receive the promised slipstream.
“Big thanks to Carlos for the tow in turns three and four,” Leclerc said sarcastically. “It was nice – got a little bit of extra speed. Always nice to be close there.”
2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix
The relationship between Leclerc and Sainz was usually constructive, but they were so closely matched the pair inevitably met on-track at times. In Las Vegas last year, Leclerc was put out when he was first told Sainz would “not overtake” him, then that his team mate would “not put you under pressure” – and then was passed by Sainz:
Lap 32
Bozzi
Watch the white line. Watch the white line and box, Charles, box.
Adami
Charles is boxing.
Bozzi
Carlos has been told to not overtake, but it’s really close. He might be just in front.
Bozzi
He has been told to not put you under pressure.
Adami
Do not put him under pressure.
Bozzi
Sainz passes Leclerc into turn fiveSo just take care of your tyres. Focus on your tyres.
Leclerc
Maybe try in Spanish.
After the race Leclerc, in an unguarded comment he seemingly did not intend for broadcast, fumed over the outcome:
Victory lap
Leclerc
Was that chequered flag?
Bozzi
Yes.
Bozzi
Pick up, please.
Leclerc
Yes, whatever you want, as always.
Bozzi
Charles, you did your job, okay. Thank you.
Leclerc
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I did my job but being nice fucks me over all the fucking time, all the fucking time. It’s not even being nice, it’s just being respectful.
Bozzi
Charles, Charles…
Leclerc
I know I need to shut up but at one point it’s always the same, so… Oh my fucking god.
Bozzi
Okay. But anyway, you did the right thing for the team.
Bozzi
And pick up please.
Leclerc
Yeah, yeah, fucking pick up what the fuck we want… Shit, shit, shit. And the radio is on. I’m sorry, that was on me.
Since Hamilton’s arrival it’s been a case of ‘same situation, different team mate’ for Leclerc. First in China he expressed surprise at the team’s tactics in sprint race qualifying when he ended up in front of Hamilton on the track after aborting an early attempt at a flying lap, and was told to let his team mate through:
Bozzi
And can we swap the cars please?
Leclerc
Swap the cars now?
Bozzi
Yes, please.
Leclerc
Yeah, I’ll do it, but we’ve never done that and I’m a bit in the shit as well, so… Leclerc lets Hamilton past at the exit of turn 10
In the grand prix Leclerc spent several laps stuck behind his team mate while Hamilton, who had offered to let the other car by, took longer to do so than the team would have liked:
Lap: 16/56 LEC: 1’55.134, HAM: 1’37.942
Bozzi
Next car is Lewis.
Bozzi
Exit turn 10And we will swap the cars in turn 14.
Bozzi
And Lewis will let you by into turn 14.
Lap: 19/56 LEC: 1’36.907, HAM: 1’37.075
Bozzi
Exit turn 13We will swap the cars into turn 14.
Lap: 20/56 LEC: 1’37.299, HAM: 1’37.469
Leclerc
(Unclear)
Bozzi
This is what he’s been told.
Lap: 21/56 LEC: 1’37.160, HAM: 1’39.319
Leclerc
This is a shame. The pace is there. Hamilton lets Leclerc past in turn one
Bozzi
Well done, sorry about that. Keep pushing. [State of charge] six when you want.
Bozzi
So you are the fastest car out there. Let’s go, Charles.
A similar situation unfolded at the last round in Miami. This time Hamilton, on softer tyres than Leclerc, spent several laps stuck behind his team mate while the team deliberated when to swap them. Once they exchanged positions, Hamilton made little progress catching the car ahead and began to hold up Leclerc.
Again several laps were lost while one Ferrari delayed another until eventually the places were swapped. Leclerc made his dissatisfaction with the team’s latest strategy call clear.
Lessons for Leclerc
Ferrari have attracted jokes for their occasional odd decisions and proliferations of plans from A to D and sometimes beyond. At times the mockery has been with some justification, but the team has also learned from its mistakes.
But it can’t have escaped Leclerc’s notice that the conversations he had with the team in Miami and Shanghai this year about swapping places with Hamilton are no different to those he had last year concerning Leclerc. How does Ferrari keep allowing its cars to cost each other time?
This is partly the side-effect of driving at a team which has two highly competitive drivers. McLaren has had to negotiate the same difficulties with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and no doubt will continue to.
What conclusions should Leclerc draw from the latest episode in Miami? The time lost letting Hamilton by, only to be waved by him again later, cost him the chance to attack Andrea Kimi Antonelli for a better finish.
Would any of his rivals have allowed their position to be compromised in this way to help their team mate? Perhaps more to the point, would the Leclerc of late-2019, as he strived to secure his place at Ferrari when he last faced a multiple-champion team mate?
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