Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur apologizes to Charles Leclerc for Monaco Grid penalty
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has issued an apology to Charles Leclerc following a communication mistake that resulted in a grid penalty during the Monaco Grand Prix.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur expressed his heartfelt apology to driver Charles Leclerc for the communication mishap that resulted in his drop from the third grid position at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Vasseur, acknowledging Leclerc's unfortunate streak at his home race, admitted that the qualifying session was challenging. Leclerc had secured the third-fastest time on Saturday, nestled between Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz in fourth.
However, Leclerc's hopes were dashed as he was penalized three places on the grid for impeding McLaren's Lando Norris during Q3 in the tunnel. Regrettably, Ferrari failed to alert their driver of Norris' presence in time, preventing Leclerc from taking evasive action.
This penalty proved costly, as Ocon went on to claim a podium finish, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen taking the race win and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso trailing closely behind. Vasseur acknowledged that without the penalty, Leclerc would likely have secured a podium spot.
Speaking to the media, Vasseur said, "He's been a bit frustrated in Monaco for a couple of years now, and [qualifying] was tough. What else can I do than apologise on behalf of the team and understand how we can do a better job, and to improve the communication between the pit wall and Charles in this condition, but on both sides."
Vasseur emphasized the need for improvement, refusing to make excuses. Reflecting on the team's mistake, he explained, "Under the tunnel, Charles was not able to see in the mirror where Norris was. If you tell him after the tunnel, he can see where Norris is and avoid being on the [racing] line.
"Also, the line under the tunnel is not very clear. But we made a mistake clearly, and this cost us a lot because I think starting from P3 could have been another race, but we have to learn from it."
Vasseur assured that a thorough review of the situation would take place, demonstrating their commitment to rectifying the communication breakdown. "Honestly, I'm not looking to find an excuse or something like this; we have to review the situation completely. I didn't want to do it [on Saturday] evening because we are focused on the race. But we will have a look at this," he concluded.
