Ferrari explain two timing errors which cost Leclerc Monaco win · RaceFans

In brief

Ferrari made two timing errors which cost Leclerc Monaco win

Ferrari’s sporting director and head of race strategy, Inaki Rueda, explained on a video released by the team they had made “two mistakes” with Leclerc’s strategy in the race, which saw him fall from first to fourth.

To begin with they attempted to cover Sergio Perez’s switch to intermediate tyres. At the point Leclerc came into the pits, Ferrari’s strategy software showed his likely advantage over Perez had diminished to just one second. Rueda said they hadn’t expected Perez to gain nine seconds on their driver in a single lap.

The team’s second mistake “was a gap mistake again” Rueda continued. “We wanted to pit both cars onto dry tyres. On lap 21, we thought the track was good for dry tyres. At the same time we were bringing Carlos in to try and keep the lead of the race, we thought, ‘let’s bring Charles to try and undercut Perez so we can finish P1 and P2’.

“As we were coming in, we were looking at our tools and our gaps. The gap in between our cars was five seconds. It was tight for a stop here. A comfortable stop here is done with six seconds in between the cars, but we thought five-and-a-half seconds might be enough.

“As the cars got closer and closer to pit entry, the gap was narrowed and at pit entry, the gap was only three-and-a-half seconds. We made a last second attempt to try and tell Charles to stay out, but it was too late – he had already veered into the pit lane and in this stop, Charles lost two seconds. This was crucial. This is what allowed Verstappen to come out ahead of Charles a lap later.”

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