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Damon Hill was left ‘flabbergasted’ as Charles Leclerc seemed to question Ferrari’s pit stop strategy at the Miami Grand Prix.
Expectations were high at Ferrari for the Miami Grand Prix as the team brought several upgrades to the SF-26. Early signs were encouraging, with Leclerc topping FP1 and finishing third in the Sprint.
Charles Leclerc drops to P8 after getting a 20-second penalty!
The Ferrari driver left the track on several occasions without a justifiable reason.
Qualifying P3, the Monegasque driver took the lead at the start and fought hard with Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli. But at the pit stops, Ferrari seemed to go against Leclerc’s wishes and brought him in early and then had a slow stop.
Things would only get worse as Leclerc spun while challenging Oscar Piastri for P3 on the final lap. He hit the wall, sustaining damage to his car before slipping to P6 and later P8 after he was hit with a 20-second penalty for track limits.
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Damon Hill left baffled by Charles Leclerc’s radio after Ferrari strategy nightmare in Miami
Lewis Hamilton was shocked by Leclerc’s result as Ferrari wasted a great opportunity to score valuable points with the upgraded SF-26. The Miami GP was another example of the team’s questionable strategy choices.
The decision came as a surprise to Leclerc, as he came over the radio saying: “Next time you make a decision, please speak with me on here as well.”
It would suggest that the Monegasque driver was not consulted at all in his strategy and this left Hill ‘flabbergasted’ as to how the team had not spoken about this before the race.
What would you rate the Miami Grand Prix out of 10?
He said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’m flabbergasted when I heard these radio communications, because didn’t they not talk about this before they go into the race?
“We’ve heard this over and over again with Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, and also with Lewis, about not being informed about what’s going on.”
Journalist Andrew Benson added: “I mean, look, Ferrari’s strategy is a consistent mystery to most people in the Formula 1 paddock.
“They threw away the race win in Australia, for example, a potential consistent fight for the lead with George Russell through a very confusing strategy decision, and here’s another one.”
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