Charles Leclerc succumbs to power of Ferrari press office amid strategy to cover up Singapore error

Lando Norris dominated the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, delivering a commanding victory in his McLaren. From Friday's practice, he looked set for a strong performance. Yet, Ferrari initially appeared capable of challenging Norris, with Charles Leclerc showing promising pace, while Red Bull surprisingly struggled.

However, Ferrari’s fortunes shifted on Saturday as the car began to show its familiar weakness with front tire management. But beyond the on-track struggles, what unfolded in Singapore exemplifies the evolution of Formula 1’s broader culture in recent years. Driver interviews have become carefully scripted by team press offices, with every word designed to protect the team's image. On the rare occasions where a driver speaks candidly, the entire communications framework often unravels. The tension between Ferrari and Leclerc in Singapore was just another example of this.

Despite having a car well-suited to street circuits, Leclerc found himself starting from the fifth row after a challenging qualifying session. Post-qualifying, his frustration was apparent as he reflected on the incident. Leclerc explained that his front tires had failed to reach the ideal temperature, which compromised his single Q3 flying lap, leading to a lack of grip and a lock-up under braking.

But what exactly happened to Leclerc’s Ferrari SF-24 before Q3? Modern F1 technology allowed for a quick analysis of the onboard footage to better understand the issue. Just three minutes before Leclerc went out on track, a peculiar incident occurred with the front-left tire warmer.

In a video that circulated widely on social media after qualifying, though later removed from major platforms, a Ferrari mechanic can be seen tampering with the cable connected to the front-left tire warmer, possibly after realizing it wasn’t functioning properly. Moments later, another mechanic hurried to retrieve a replacement cable from Carlos Sainz’s side of the garage. This malfunction, seemingly discovered too late, likely contributed to Leclerc’s difficulties in getting the front tires up to temperature during Q3.

Thus, the problem Charles Leclerc cited was not merely bad luck but the result of a last-minute issue with the tire warmer—one that left Ferrari scrambling too late to fix.

OUTLINE:

00:00:00 Lando Norris Dominates Singapore Grand Prix
00:00:10 Early Challenges from Ferrari
00:00:22 Ferrari's Struggles on Saturday
00:00:28 Evolution of Formula 1
00:01:11 Controlled Communication in F1
00:01:31 Charles Leclerc's Disappointment
00:02:26 The Mystery of Leclerc's Q3 Attempt
00:02:42 The Tire Warmer Incident
00:05:01 Ferrari's many curious "behaviors"

🚨 Subscribe for more videos about Ferrari ✍🏼

OUR LINKS

From race updates to behind-the-scenes stories, we've got it all covered. Whether you're a die-hard Scuderia Ferrari fan or simply passionate about Formula 1, our website is your go-to source for all things Ferrari.

#ScuderiaFans #ForzaFerrari #ScuderiaFerrari #essereFerrari #Ferrari #Scuderia #PrancingHorse #F1 #Formula1 #motorsport #FormulaOne #race #racing #Charles16 #CL16 #CharlesLeclerc #TeamLeclerc #Leclerc #Carlos55 #CS55 #CarlosSainz #TeamSainz #Sainz #Vasseur #SF24 #SingaporeGP

[efoneofour]

Great editorial ! Why deny the obvious?

[pascaljoly]

Ferrari is not going to win the championship this year, just don’t even think about it as it ain’t gonna happen! Poor upgrades and too many errors, simple as that!