Ferrari star Charles Leclerc fuming with race engineer despite Dutch Grand Prix podium

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The Dutch Grand Prix wasn’t the exciting return to action Formula 1 fans would have been hoping for after the long summer break.

Max Verstappen got the better of Lando Norris going into turn 1 on the opening lap, extending Norris’s poor record of never leading the first lap of a race when he’s started on pole position.

After managing his tyres, Norris comfortably dispatched the triple world champion and drove off into the distance but there was more of a race going on behind the pair.

Ferrari arrived at the Dutch Grand Prix with the fourth-fastest car on the grid and plenty of small issues that needed working out.

Unfortunately, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz couldn’t spend too much time in practice trying to solve them due to the adverse weather conditions on Friday and Saturday.

However, a fantastic getaway from Leclerc saw him leapfrog Sergio Perez and after the first round of pit stops, the 26-year-old found himself running in 3^rd.

After qualifying, team principal Frederic Vasseur admitted that he was expecting a ‘tough weekend’.

Leclerc once again showed his exceptional talent by eking out more points than expected at Zandvoort.

Listening on the team radio though, Leclerc wasn’t happy with his race engineer Bryan Bozzi.

The Italo-Dane was only brought in partway through the season although Leclerc and Bozzi’s relationship has been questioned.

It was clear during the Dutch Grand Prix that the race-winner driver wasn’t too pleased as he tried to fight off Oscar Piastri.

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Charles Leclerc fuming on Ferrari team radio during the Dutch Grand Prix

During the second half of the race, Bozzi said: “Right toggle to fix oversteer in turn 10.”

Leclerc replied: “Please stop thinking about turn 10. The car is s— there whatever I do.”

The Monegasque’s radio messages throughout the race came with a sense of frustration, saying at one point: “It’s okay, please stop speaking about me.

“I’m out of control and I’ve had enough. Copy. Guys, sit there, whatever I do.”

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Ferrari have issues to solve despite positive result during the Dutch Grand Prix

Going into Sunday’s race at Zandvoort, few would have expected Ferrari to have outscored Mercedes despite Lewis Hamilton’s P13 start after a tough qualifying session.

However, David Croft praised how well Leclerc drove, matching Piastri’s lap times in the final 10 laps of the race and running faster than Verstappen.

Ferrari know that the car still isn’t perfect after the update package they delivered at the Spanish Grand Prix.

It’s taken some time to iron out the problems they’re facing and Leclerc and Sainz will be expecting further steps forward as the season goes on.

Martin Brundle was left surprised by how few podiums they had achieved since the Monaco Grand Prix but Leclerc managed to deliver back-to-back top-three finishes at Zandvoort.

It once again highlights how quick the Monegasque driver is and holding off a McLaren driver in a car that opened up a huge gap on Verstappen is an exceptional feat.