{"id":3445,"date":"2026-10-05T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=3445"},"modified":"2026-10-04T15:04:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T18:04:14","slug":"leclerc-points-to-red-bull-as-ferrari-faces-fresh-questions-over-race-decisions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/leclerc-points-to-red-bull-as-ferrari-faces-fresh-questions-over-race-decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"Leclerc points to Red Bull as Ferrari faces fresh questions over race decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Charles Leclerc says Ferrari must improve its decisions after choosing the wrong starting tyres at Sepang.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He highlighted Red Bull as a team that gets those calls right more consistently.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leclerc recovered to fourth and defended Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vasseur amid speculation about Ferrari\u2019s leadership.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Charles Leclerc called on <strong>Ferrari to improve its race decisions<\/strong>, identifying Red Bull as a benchmark after the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The Monegasque recovered to fourth at Sepang, but the result did not remove his concerns about how Ferrari handled the changing conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both Ferrari drivers committed to soft slick tyres for the start while the circuit remained too wet for that choice to work. Red Bull and Mercedes opted for intermediates, giving their drivers a substantial advantage during the opening phase of the <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">Formula 1 race<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to <em>Sky Sport Italia<\/em> after the Grand Prix, Leclerc acknowledged that he had initially believed Ferrari\u2019s decision was correct. With the outcome clear, however, he said the team needed to learn from competitors that made better calls more consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m thinking particularly of Red Bull, and on that we need to take a step forward,\u201d Leclerc said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ferrari\u2019s recovery does not erase the starting mistake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Leclerc\u2019s afternoon involved more than the wrong tyre choice.<\/strong> Contact with Nico H\u00fclkenberg left him with a puncture and front-wing damage, requiring a stop that dropped him to the back of the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He then worked his way forward as conditions improved and the race developed. The late restart provided another opportunity, with Leclerc passing Isack Hadjar to finish fourth behind teammate Lewis Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recovery gave Ferrari third and fourth in the <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/verstappen-ends-win-drought-in-chaotic-sepang-race-as-hamilton-recovers-to-podium\/\">full Sepang race results<\/a>. Nevertheless, Leclerc distinguished the strength of that comeback from the decisions that had made it necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ferrari\u2019s ability to recover did not mean its opening approach had been successful. The team had lost substantial ground before it could demonstrate its pace on a more suitable tyre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-ferrari-charles-leclerc-3-1024x576.png\" alt=\"F1 2026, BAHREIN, MAL\u00c1SIA, CORRIDA, FERRARI, CHARLES LECLERC, ROSTO, RETRATO\" class=\"wp-image-1020317082\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-ferrari-charles-leclerc-3-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-ferrari-charles-leclerc-3-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-ferrari-charles-leclerc-3-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-ferrari-charles-leclerc-3-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-ferrari-charles-leclerc-3-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-ferrari-charles-leclerc-3-150x84.png 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-ferrari-charles-leclerc-3.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Charles Leclerc (Photo: Ferrari)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leclerc sees fourth as the best available result<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leclerc also acknowledged that he had struggled to extract the car\u2019s full potential. Inconsistent behaviour complicated his afternoon even after the early damage and tyre problems had been addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt the end of the day, I think P4 on my side was the best I could do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His assessment combined satisfaction with the final position and recognition that Ferrari had lessons to take from the race. A strong result after a difficult opening could coexist with shortcomings in execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distinction added another perspective to <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/vasseur-praises-ferrari-fightback-but-admits-sepang-tyre-call-remains-difficult\/\">Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vasseur\u2019s assessment of Ferrari\u2019s recovery<\/a>. The team principal praised both drivers\u2019 pace and management while acknowledging that Ferrari had chosen the wrong starting tyres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vasseur nevertheless maintained that the decision was difficult in those conditions, even with hindsight. Leclerc\u2019s emphasis was on improving Ferrari\u2019s consistency when similar situations arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategy criticism comes with support for Vasseur<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Leclerc\u2019s call for improvement was accompanied by support for Ferrari\u2019s leadership.<\/strong> He defended Vasseur\u2019s efforts to return the team to the front and expressed frustration with speculation surrounding the team principal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leclerc said Ferrari remained united, making clear that his criticism of the race decisions was part of the team\u2019s work to improve. His priority was to turn the lessons from Sepang into better execution at future races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ferrari collected 27 points in Malaysia, with Hamilton finishing third and Leclerc fourth. The next opportunity comes immediately, as the championship moves to Singapore for a Sprint weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Formula 1 returns next weekend, from 9\u201311 October, for the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay. <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> will cover all the action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time is the 2026 Singapore GP?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Singapore GP starts at <strong>20:00 local time on Sunday, October 11<\/strong>. That is <strong>13:00 in the UK, 08:00 ET in the US and Canada and 17:30 in India<\/strong>. Singapore is a sprint weekend, with sprint qualifying on Friday and the sprint on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why does George Russell have a grid penalty in Singapore?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell has exhausted his permitted allocation of four engines after suffering a power-unit failure at Sepang. Mercedes must introduce another unit, triggering a grid penalty for <strong>Sunday&#8217;s Grand Prix<\/strong>. The penalty does not apply to Saturday&#8217;s sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kimi Antonelli win the F1 championship in Singapore?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Antonelli leads Russell by <strong>84 points, 320 to 236<\/strong>, but cannot mathematically secure the 2026 title in Singapore. His first opportunity to become world champion comes at the <strong>United States GP in Austin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charles Leclerc recovered to fourth in Malaysia but says Ferrari must learn from rivals that consistently make better decisions in changing conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020317118,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Charles Leclerc","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Ferrari","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":13,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[630,28,56,66],"42wp_author":[13],"class_list":["post-3445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-bahrain-grand-prix-in-malaysia","tag-charles-leclerc","tag-ferrari","tag-red-bull","42wp_author-luana-marino"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3445"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3446,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3445\/revisions\/3446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020317118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3445"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=3445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}