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The 2022 F1 Monaco GP was a major heartbreak for Charles Leclerc. The local hero had scored pole position and was leading the race comfortably in the first half until he finished 4th courtesy of a strategic goof-up by Ferrari.
F1 pundit Martin Brundle now feels that the relationship between the driver and the team was severely tested in the Monaco GP as it was the home race for Leclerc and he was desperate to win this one.
In his post-race column for Sky Sports F1, the Briton wrote:
“You must feel sorry for local boy Charles Leclerc. He aced pole position and comfortably led the race, only for strategy to consign him to fourth place... The mutual admiration and affection between Leclerc and Ferrari remind me of the relationship Michael Schumacher had with the team, but that has been severely tested on Leclerc’s side in eight days of two missed glorious victories and wasting the opportunity to regain the lead of the world championship.”
Expectedly disappointed and angry at the team's strategy, Leclerc was heard shouting on the team radio and was distraught after the race.
Charles Leclerc needs to "watch it" with the criticism, says former F1 world champion
1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill feels that Charles Leclerc needs to be careful with his criticism of his team in the media. Advising the Monegasque that 'Ferrari will always win' in a head-to-head with its drivers, the Briton said:
“I think they are big enough and Ferrari understand. But you can only criticise your team so many times before there becomes a PR problem for the team. Ferrari are not the people who will give way here. If you’ve got a driver versus Ferrari, Ferrari will always win. So, technically or diplomatically, you have to watch it a bit.”
Ferrari has been notorious for firing a multiple world champion in Alain Prost for criticizing the car in the media and that kind of legacy has stuck with the team.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc has seen his championship lead get converted into a deficit as he has missed out on two wins in Barcelona and Monaco. The driver now faces a 9-point deficit to Max Verstappen in the drivers' standings.
