Charles Leclerc's chances of winning the Formula 1 world championship this season are being questioned after a series of strategy blunders by Ferrari, which a motorsport journalist says are 'part of Ferrari's history'. The Italian team started the season strongly with a one-two finish in Bahrain, but recent mistakes have allowed Red Bull to take a 36-point lead in the constructors' standings.
The most recent error came at the Monaco Grand Prix, where a panicked strategy call cost Leclerc a likely victory. A miscommunication led to the 24-year-old pitting behind his teammate Carlos Sainz, emerging in fourth place while Sergio Perez won the race. The blunder has raised doubts about Ferrari's ability to manage a title challenge.
Norbert Haug, former vice president of Mercedes-Benz motorsport, told German outlet RND that such mistakes are typical of Ferrari. 'What Ferrari did in Monaco will certainly not go down in motorsport history as a great moment of strategy,' Haug said. 'Unfortunately, it is part of Ferrari's history that such blunders happen from time to time and thus torpedo otherwise brilliant results.'
Ferrari will have a chance to recover at the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, followed by the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. However, with Max Verstappen now leading the drivers' championship and Red Bull dominating, the pressure is mounting on team principal Mattia Binotto and his strategists to deliver consistent results.
