The Qatar Grand Prix final yr turned notorious for its grueling circumstances and oppressive warmth, which pushed drivers to their limits.
Logan Sargeant, for example, turned so unwell that he needed to retire from the race for security causes. In response, Method 1 opted to maneuver the occasion to a cooler time of yr this season.
Regardless of the scheduling adjustment, which made the race much less bodily punishing, Ferrari nonetheless managed to place Charles Leclerc by means of an pointless problem as a result of a careless oversight on the 5.419-kilometre Lusail Worldwide Circuit.
Peter Windsor calls out Ferrari for ‘odd’ mistake at Qatar Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc confronted the grueling circumstances of this yr’s race with out entry to his drink system, due to an error throughout its setup. Whereas such a misstep may need been disastrous final yr, the cooler circumstances allowed him to persevere, clinching a podium end and securing priceless factors for Ferrari of their constructors’ championship battle.
Nevertheless, Peter Windsor didn’t maintain again in his criticism of Ferrari, describing the error as “weird” and emphasizing that such errors merely shouldn’t happen at this degree of motorsport: “He couldn’t get his drink bottle to work, there’s one thing to do with a clip underneath the balaclava for it,” he identified. You assume they might have sorted all that out lengthy earlier than they get within the racecar, wouldn’t you? He was occurring about the way it’s a double-fastening, and so they’ve received to make the single-fastening. Why aren’t they doing that stuff at Fiorano or someplace? It appears weird to me that that might be an issue.”
Charles Leclerc faces a monumental problem in Abu Dhabi as Ferrari’s season hinges on a miracle
The stage is ready for a dramatic conclusion on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the place the battle to finish a 16-year championship drought might be determined between McLaren and Ferrari.
McLaren holds a 21-point benefit heading into the ultimate race, leaving Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz with the daunting activity of delivering a flawless efficiency. A one-two end would shut the hole, however McLaren’s tempo benefit in Qatar—and related observe circumstances anticipated in Abu Dhabi—may make {that a} tall order.
This time, Charles Leclerc ought to have a functioning drinks system, which is able to make the bodily demanding race extra manageable. Nevertheless, his actual focus might be on reaching a victory that would outline his tenure at Ferrari and eventually carry dwelling the glory he’s sought since becoming a member of the staff.
Including to the stress is the chance of an intense head-to-head showdown with McLaren, whereas Max Verstappen, unburdened by championship stakes, lurks as a wildcard able to disrupt their plans. It guarantees to be a fiercely contested and high-stakes finale.