Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur explains that Charles Leclerc may have suffered from a software problem, but tries to remain positive by saying that Carlos Sainz’s pace was good. Leclerc’s failure on the formation lap, during which the engine also stalled, could result in a penalty in Las Vegas if Ferrari has to replace the engine.
The race had not even started and Leclerc was already the first dropout in São Paolo. The Monegasque had a problem with the car’s system and then he lost the power steering and the engine. The car crashed into the wall during the formation lap and Leclerc could no longer participate. That was a major setback for Ferrari, which is battling Mercedes for P2 in the championship. “It’s more than disappointing, everything we did this weekend in qualifying and the sprint, saving new tire sets, was meant to have a good race, and we couldn’t race,” Vasseur said on Sky Sports.
‘We are as disappointed as Charles. We don’t know yet what the problem was,” the Frenchman continues. ‘We know it’s a problem with the system because it stalled and then we lost the engine and the power steering. We also don’t know why the system stopped the engine,” says Vasseur at Viaplay. “It was 100 percent not the driver’s fault.” Ferrari had to run the race with one driver, and he certainly showed good things. Sainz was able to overtake both Mercedes and finished sixth. ‘He did well in Turn 1 and caught both Mercedes. We saw that the pace was good, so we have to stay motivated,” said Vasseur.
Possible penalty for Leclerc in Las Vegas: ‘If it turns out there was no problem, then we are not going to replace anything’
If Ferrari sees that there was a problem with Leclerc’s engine and it is necessary to replace the engine, Leclerc will face a penalty. ‘It all depends on the engine. If it turns out that there was no problem with the engine itself, we see no reason to replace it,” Vasseur said. It can be quite disadvantageous to immediately take a penalty at a circuit like Las Vegas, where the drivers will be driving for the first time. Things don’t seem to be going Leclerc’s way this season.
2023-11-05 20:56:00
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