Helmet controversies and Ferrari’s strategies appeared to hinder Charles Leclerc’s race weekend.
The Monagasque driver has endured a difficult start to the season.
With uncapped potential and a few race wins under his belt, many believed Leclerc could be the next world champion.
But with the current state of Ferrari and Leclerc’s clear frustration, the chances of an F1 title float into the distant future.
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Leclerc finished the Canadian Grand Prix in fourth place, with teammate Carlos Sainz in fifth.
Although valuable points were scored, Ferrari will have wanted more.
The Scuderia outfit failed to finish in the top three once again, a feat only achieved once this season by Charles Leclerc in Azerbaijan.
Leclerc was given little chance of victory as the driver failed to reach Q3 in qualifying for the second time in a row after a strategy error from Ferrari.
Leclerc’s tribute to Gilles Villenueve turns sour
On top of this disappointment, was a helmet controversy regarding to father of 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve.
Over race weekend, Leclerc wore a helmet livery in honour of Gilles Villeneuve, Jacques’ father.
Such a tribute had the reverse effect and actually offended the family. Jacques Villeneuve provided some insight.
“To clarify the situation regarding the recent incident where some individuals felt the need to insult me and my family over Charles Leclerc using my dad’s helmet, I want to provide some context,” he said.
“As I was arriving at the track, my sister called me in a state of anger. She had seen Charles using our dad’s helmet without any prior knowledge or communication about it.
“The entire family was taken by surprise, as we had not been informed beforehand. I immediately conveyed the message to Charles, who was kind enough to give me a call.
“We had a heartfelt conversation where he sincerely apologised for the situation. I reassured him that I considered it a touching tribute and that I personally had no issues with it.
“However, I stressed the importance of him reaching out to my sister, as she is the one responsible for managing everything related to our dad.
“I also suggested that he invite both our sister and mother to the track to address any remaining concerns.
“Fortunately, everything eventually worked out, but it would have been preferable for these discussions and arrangements to take place before the weekend in a respectful and professional manner.
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“Unfortunately, the incident was blown out of proportion, turning it into an unnecessary controversy.”
Such matters can only add further discomfort to Leclerc, who already suffers from the imbalance at Ferrari as the team cannot mount any challenge on their rivals.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were able to seal podium finishes for Mercedes and Aston Martin, increasing the lead over fourth-placed Ferrari who trail with 122 points.