Charles Leclerc unleashed a torrent of criticism at Ferrari following the Las Vegas Grand Prix, expressing his frustration over the team radio. Despite having fairly overtaken his teammate Carlos Sainz at the start of the race, the Monegasque driver had to settle for a position behind him. Leclerc missed out on the podium, finishing fourth behind Sainz. His race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, bore the brunt of his anger.
Charles Leclerc had an excellent start in Las Vegas, immediately gaining two positions. He flawlessly overtook both Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz. The 27-year-old Ferrari driver seemed on track for a podium finish for a long time, behind the two Mercedes. Even after his second and final pit stop, he returned to the track ahead of Sainz. Ferrari also assured Leclerc that his teammate would not overtake him.
Tirade
“Carlos (Sainz) has been told he can’t overtake, so you’re not under pressure,” race engineer Bryan Bozzi assured him over the team radio. Shortly after, however, Sainz did overtake Leclerc. “Maybe you should have asked him in Spanish,” Leclerc responded sarcastically. Both Ferraris then encountered Max Verstappen, preventing Leclerc from reclaiming his position from his teammate. In the cooldown lap, he let his anger run free and lashed out at Ferrari.
“You got your way again,” he said angrily. “I did my job, but as always, I get screwed over. This has nothing to do with being nice to each other; a little respect would be appropriate.” Team boss Fred Vasseur tried to calm Leclerc down, but the driver seemed completely fed up with the team. “I know I should keep my mouth shut, but at some point, enough is enough. Oh my fucking god.
