Charles Leclerc finished fourth Sunday.
Charles Leclerc missed out on a podium Sunday after starting the F1 Mexican Grand Prix on the pole and falling victim to Ferrari putting the driver onto a suboptimal two-stop strategy at an early stage of the race.
If Ferrari take nothing else away from the 2019 season, they must learn from their mistakes across the season. Aside from the odd rare mistake from their drivers, both making equal numbers of embarrassing blunders, the strategy calls from the pit wall have cost them numerous races and had these been different the constructors’ championship might still have been a realistic possibility.
Starting with Leclerc on pole and Sebastian Vettel in second it seemed impossible to think of anything other than a Ferrari victory, but that didn’t happen.
Leclerc was put onto a two-stop strategy to cover Alex Albon – the Red Bull driver showing well but never looking like a true contender for the win – while Vettel was left out on track for far too long after first Lewis Hamilton pitted, and then Valtteri Bottas.
Leclerc has borne the brunt of the errors from Ferrari including a mistake during one of his stops hampering him further; he finished the day in fourth.
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Sights from the action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix,Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
“This is not the only answer (the two-stop strategy),” said Leclerc. “I think that the second stint was not particularly great on the medium compound. I don’t know why, the first medium felt a lot better so we need to analyze and understand this.
“We did the first stop early to cover from (Alex) Albon, then we knew it was going to be a two-stop race. All the others went for a one-stop, so then it was really difficult.”
Asked at what point Ferrari had decided to split the strategy, Leclerc said, “I believe that we wanted to cover from Albon especially. Mostly to cover overheating, because overheating is a big factor here so we wanted to have track position and not be behind.
“I believe that at that point of the race we thought it would be two stops, which it didn’t happen at the end.
“I think I still need to do some work, especially in the races, because when you see it’s a tendency in the last few weekends – ok the strategy has not been good, but I should have probably come on the radio and asked for something and been more decisive in the decision to try to help the team to make the right decision on my side which Seb did. Hopefully that will come with time.”
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