Frédéric Vasseur says Charles Leclerc’s problems at the F1 Brazilian Grand Prix were something he faced for the first time in 2023 as he was frustrated at missing out on a potential podium. Told.
It wasn’t the start that Ferrari or Leclerc had hoped for in the Brazilian F1 GP. Formation He only completed half a lap before it broke down. The Monaco spun after its rear wheels locked up. He started moving, but stopped again at the last second.
He noticed that the hydraulic system was missing, but eventually it became clear that the system needed to be shut down, and he lost the power steering and drive unit to shut it down. Ferrari’s reliability has been consistently poor and the Brazilian GP exacerbates another problem for Ferrari.
However, Vasseur points out that this is a problem they did not face this year. “It was a system issue. The system shut down the hydraulics and the engine,” he told the media. “We still don’t know the reason for the command from the system because the car hasn’t been returned. But it was more of an electronic command than anything else.
“He tried turning it on and off. The problem was that he managed 30 meters and was in the same situation, but it was better to stop. How to recover No, I haven’t had this issue at least not in the last 10 months. It’s the first time. When the system command switch off, you don’t have any power steering or gearbox,” summed up Vasseur.
An even bigger disappointment was that Ferrari spent the entire sprint weekend starting from the front row while conserving tires and preparing for the main race. They were more focused on putting the rest of the field behind than Max Verstappen.
A podium finish was a possibility, but Vasseur didn’t want to focus on the “what ifs”. When asked about him missing out on the podium, Vasseur replied, “It would have been possible.” “The two Astons didn’t get off to a good start, considering we were also running on three sets of new tires and started in clean air. However, this position is completely nonsensical. You know this: a race is a race, and you don’t have to drive thinking, “What if, what if?” That’s what it is.
“As I said, it was certainly very frustrating for Charles and the team to strategically put all our energy into long-term savings on tires and fit new tires over another weekend.” I put new tires on the short route and everything on the long route, but it wouldn’t start. It’s definitely frustrating.
“He was just disappointed. He needs to calmly understand what happened to avoid future problems. His pace at the weekend wasn’t too bad and I think he was in a good position. .We’re catching up a bit with Mercedes over the weekend, so this is a missed opportunity.
“We still have two attempts left in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi. Las Vegas could be an upset and if we have the same pace as this weekend and Mercedes have the same pace as this weekend, we have no chance. “Yes,” Vasseur concluded, explaining his position when asked whether Leclerc would lose his car. Try going back before you give up.
“Going into the corner, I lost the power steering first and then the engine was switched off for safety reasons,” Leclerc told the media. “Then the rear wheels locked up and I skidded. So I couldn’t control the car. I moved the car again. Only the front wing was damaged. But nothing else.
“I started it again and let the hydraulics run for 15 seconds, but then the exact same thing happened: I lost oil pressure and the engine died. And of course, after 20 meters, , it was clear that we couldn’t go any further. The next two meters would have been the end.
“Hydraulic, that’s how I felt. But at the end of the day, if you talk to the engineers, I don’t think it’s the problem. I know what it is, but I can’t say too much. Leclerc concluded that Ferrari will continue its investigation in Maranello.
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