Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc went second fastest during qualifying in Jeddah but served a ten-place grid penalty before the race.

So there is still a lot of work to do to before getting to their level. “For tomorrow we have a ten-place grid penalty so it will be starting the race a bit on the back foot but I will do absolutely everything to come back to the front.” Ferrari would have been hoping to be able to challenge Red Bull for both championships this season but have not even been able to lay a glove on the energy drink giants this year.

Could the Mercedes and Ferrari stars switch teams in a major shake-up? · Hamilton opens up on plans to remain in F1 ahead of new season · Related articles.

The seven-time champion has appeared stunned by Mercedes' lack of performance for a second successive campaign. Leclerc is understood to have held a private meeting with Ferrari president John Elkann between races to discuss the team's future. With both drivers’ contracts close to expiring, a switch would certainly be theoretically possible.

DRS trains are going to be a major issue for the driver who takes on a ten-place grid penalty this weekend.

Charles Leclerc has robustly dismissed suggestions he could swap Ferrari for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton going the other way.

“It's not the start of the season we expected, but we've already figured out some things and we're already reacting.” "I want to recover with overtaking and merit,” Leclerc said. “But I wear red and I want to win again with this team.”

What's new in the news? Nothing. Ferrari botches up yet another strategy for Charles Leclerc. In other news, the sky is blue, but for Tifosi, it's cloudy.

Who will the axe fall on this time? [March 19, 2023] Ffs give me a break!!! He was nicely positioned for a podium but luck didn't go his way nor the radio message got there on time. After a good strategy at the start, going with the softs to provide the right grip for Leclerc, it didn’t take much time for Ferrari to mess things up. [Ferrari](https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/f1/ferrari/), knows how a pit stop under the safety car and the following restart is a blessing.

Tensions were high during Charles Leclerc's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 2, Saudi. Charles Leclerc's frustration at a poor start to 2023 was demonstrated in an angry ...

Before entering a frustrating Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Leclerc was forced to deny reports that he demanded a meeting at Maranello with Ferrari president John Elkann to discuss the worrying season-opening Bahrain GP. Earlier in the race, he was told: “Try to push from Safety Car Line One. [Charles Leclerc](https://www.crash.net/f1/racer/889402/charles-leclerc)’s frustration at a poor start to 2023 was demonstrated in an angry team radio exchange during the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Their lacklustre showing as they were beaten comprehensively by both Red Bulls, by Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and by both Mercedes, left them frustrated ...

That was the best we could do.” Leclerc started 12th on the grid after a 10-second penalty for taking a new electronic control unit. “So, overall, I think this should go more our way, but overall the pace is just not good enough.

Follow all the reaction to the Saudi Arabian GP as Ferrari woefully underperformed while Fernando Alonso slammed the FIA before his podium was reinstated on ...

[Fernando Alonso](https://indy-cms-prod.brightsites.co.uk/topic/fernando-alonso) took the final spot on the podium, but was given a 10-second time penalty post-race due to an infringement on how his Aston Martin served an earlier five-second penalty, with George Russell taking third instead. Red Bull have now won 12 of the last 13 races staged. But our goal isn’t just to beat Ferrari, it’s for the Championship - it has to be with Red Bull but they’re still a step ahead of everyone.” [Charles Leclerc](/topic/charles-leclerc) hit out at [Ferrari](/topic/ferrari) once more to underline his frustration [during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix](https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/f1-live-results-starting-positions-today-b2303867.html). Everyone needs to work hard to try and close that gap, we didn’t make the right decisions over the winter. And the 25-year-old was especially upset with his race engineer Xavier Marcos Padros after communication over strategy broke down once more for the Scuderia. [Charles Leclerc](https://indy-cms-prod.brightsites.co.uk/topic/charles-leclerc) hit out at [Ferrari](https://indy-cms-prod.brightsites.co.uk/topic/ferrari) once more to underline his frustration [during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix](https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/f1-live-results-starting-positions-today-b2303867.html). There was a lot of confusion, I thought Fernando had a penalty so didn’t want to be fighting with each other. The penalty for Fernando is pretty harsh, they’re the deserving podium finishers but I’ll take another trophy, won’t complain about that.” “Got to give credit to what Red Bull have done, the gap is bigger than Mercedes in 2014. [Kieran Jackson](/author/kieran-jackson) Comments [Charles Leclerc](/topic/charles-leclerc) hit out at [Ferrari](/topic/ferrari) once more to underline his frustration [during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix](https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/f1-live-results-starting-positions-today-b2303867.html). [Fernando Alonso belatedly reinstated to the podium after an Aston Martin appeal](https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/f1-fernando-alonso-podium-penalty-saudi-arabia-b2304039.html).

The Monegasque driver finished seventh at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the Scuderia left well behind Red Bull.

But unfortunately, we need time to bring these developments and, until they come, this is what we have. And today, we were not okay. “And we thought we were quick, even after quali you know, with Charles’ lap that I think he did a brilliant lap and I struggled, we thought in race pace we were going to be okay.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz slammed the performance of their cars as "not good enough" after the Ferraris finished sixth and seventh in the Saudi ...

"You need to tell me that before... That was the best we could do." Leclerc started 12th on the grid after a 10-second penalty for taking a new electronic control unit.

Charles Leclerc has lost hopes for the 2023 title following the disappointing race at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Although as soon as he got within a second of Sainz he lost his DRS and from that moment onwards, there was nothing much but pain and disappointment for the [Ferrari](https://thesportsrush.com/tag/ferrari/) star. But after two opening races of the season, it seems as though the Scuderia will not be able to fight for the top position this season any time soon. Leclerc was exasperated and replied that he needs to be given that information before. Leclerc had pitted for hard tyres before the safety car and was of the impression that they weren’t fighting anybody. While the Ferrari driver could not finish better than P7, Verstappen went on to grab the podium with a P2 finish. The Monegasque had qualified P2 behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez but was handed a 10-place grid penalty for taking new engine components.

Unless Ferrari find that "miracle solution", Charles Leclerc's days in red could be numbered with his frustration evident in Saudi Arabia.

Although Red Bull is the team to beat, it is also very much Verstappen’s team as Sergio Perez continues to find out, meaning Leclerc is unlikely to head that way given he wants a World title above all else. Honestly, there wasn’t much more in the car, that was the best we could do.” Asked what work Ferrari must do to get into the title fight, he replied: “A lot, really a lot. Leclerc lost positions to Verstappen and Hamilton. But looking around him and seeing a field of mediums, he questioned his race engineer Xavier Marcos Padros. [Saudi Arabian GP driver ratings: Super Sergio Perez, sub-par Sainz and Norris nightmare](https://www.planetf1.com/features/saudi-arabian-gp-2023-driver-ratings/) [Saudi GP conclusions: Red Bull fast but fragile?

Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur criticised his team's lack of race pace after a disappointing performance at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but...

The only problem is the race pace with those tyres." We need to understand and correct it as soon as possible. "We need to analyse clearly. The negative thing is the hard tyres, which don't give us performance. "We won't give up," Vasseur added. [Mercedes](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-teams/mercedes-amg-petronas/) in the race, leaving drivers [Carlos Sainz](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/carlos-sainz/) and [Charles Leclerc](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/charles-leclerc/) to finish sixth and seventh respectively.

Carlos Sainz says high tyre degradation is costing Ferrari in their battle with rivals Mercedes and Aston Martin.

[Lance Stroll](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/lance-stroll/), before regaining the place later with an overcut strategy after extending his first stint on the medium Pirelli rubber. "[The safety car] wasn't the best timing," Sainz conceded. This hard tyre stint shows that we still have a lot of work to do." "The last stint [on the hard tyres] proves that we are not where we would like to be,” Sainz told the media post-race. [Carlos Sainz](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/carlos-sainz/) says high tyre degradation is costing [Ferrari](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-teams/scuderia-ferrari/) in their battle with rivals [Mercedes](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-teams/mercedes-amg-petronas/) and Aston Martin. [Charles Leclerc](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/charles-leclerc/), having been unable to keep pace with the faster Aston Martin and Mercedes cars ahead.

Charles Leclerc lashed out at his Ferrari race engineer after miscommunication over tactics at the Saudi Arabian grand prix in Jeddah on Saturday.

Leclerc (red car) struggled to match the pace set by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (black car) in the race [Lewis Hamilton](/sport/lewis_hamilton/index.html) and [George Russell](/sport/george-russell/index.html) attempted to distance the gap to the Ferrari chasers, Leclerc asked for advice on what to do, but then fumed at the delayed instructions he was given. [Charles Leclerc](/sport/charles-leclerc/index.html) lashed out at his Ferrari race engineer after miscommunication over tactics at the Saudi Arabian grand prix in Jeddah on Saturday.

Fred Vasseur has confirmed that the engine Charles Leclerc first used in the season is still available to him as the campaign goes on.