Ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes Charles Leclerc’s embarrassing Q2 elimination last weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix was the Monegasque’s fault, not Ferrari’s.
It was another qualifying to forget for Leclerc last weekend, as he failed to make it to Q3 for a second consecutive Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver was once again furious with his team, after they insisted that he set a banker lap on Intermediate tyres, despite the fact the track had dried enough for Softs.
Leclerc said over the radio prior to setting a lap in Q2 that the track was ready for Softs, only for Ferrari to insist that he sets a banker lap first.
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This proved costly, as it started to rain again when Leclerc was eventually fitted with the Soft compound.
As a result, the track conditions were no longer suitable for the dry compound, leaving him angry.
Schumacher labelled it as a “typical Ferrari Saturday”, whilst he also questioned why Leclerc went off the track so many times.
“Ferrari was obviously not so good in terms of the timing,” Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. “But Charles was off the track too often again, so you have to wonder why.
“A typical Ferrari Saturday, I would say.”
After his Q2 elimination was confirmed, Leclerc once again shouted over the team radio, whilst he also criticised the team in the media pen.
Schumacher wasn’t a fan of this and believes Ferrari need to get to grips with both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, and how they speak to the team.
The German actually thinks Leclerc is at “fault” for being eliminated in Q2, with him still making “too many mistakes”.
“As a driver, something like this would not have happened to me,” said Schumacher.
“As a driver, I made the decision about when to come in for tyres.
“Only the driver can really see how wet or dry it is. So it’s Leclerc’s fault, especially as both the Ferrari drivers are making too many mistakes.
“I also don’t like the way Leclerc and (Carlos) Sainz are often yelling on the radio. It gives the impression that the drivers and the engineers are at odds. Ferrari needs to change that.”
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Leclerc did well on Sunday to recover a fourth-place finish, marking just his third top-five result of 2023.
He was also quick to somewhat apologise to the team following his outburst, after admitting he “let myself go”.
“We will have a discussion but it remains inside the team,” Leclerc told Canal Plus. “I let myself go a little because of the passion and the desire to do well.”