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Ferrari’s nightmare continues as Leclerc crashes in Canadian GP practice

Ce que vous devez retenir

  • The Monégasque driver was settling into his rhythm around the challenging Montreal circuit when he made a costly mistake at turn three.
  • You can hear the frustration in those words – this wasn’t a mechanical failure or a freak accident.
  • His teammate Lewis Hamilton fared better, finishing fifth in FP1 and eighth in FP2, though still trailing the session leader by four-tenths of a second.

The Scuderia Ferrari can’t catch a break this season. Just when you think things might turn around, another setback hits the Italian team like a brick wall. This time, it was Charles Leclerc who found himself kissing the barriers during Friday’s first practice session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The Monégasque driver was settling into his rhythm around the challenging Montreal circuit when he made a costly mistake at turn three. What started as promising early laps quickly turned into disaster as Leclerc’s SF-25 hit the inside wall, damaging the left front wheel and suspension components. The impact was severe enough to sideline the car for the remainder of the session.

When pressure meets performance anxiety

Leclerc didn’t try to sugar-coat his error. “I should have gone wide instead of hitting the wall,” he admitted after climbing out of his damaged machine. You can hear the frustration in those words – this wasn’t a mechanical failure or a freak accident. This was pure driver error at the worst possible time for a team already under intense scrutiny.

Despite completing only nine laps before his session-ending crash, Leclerc still managed to clock the tenth-fastest time. His teammate Lewis Hamilton fared better, finishing fifth in FP1 and eighth in FP2, though still trailing the session leader by four-tenths of a second.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Ferrari. The team is drowning in speculation about internal changes, with whispers growing louder about potential shake-ups in the leadership structure. When you’re fighting rumors about your job security, the last thing you need is to park your car in the wall during practice.

Maranello’s mounting troubles

Let’s be honest – this season has been a reality check for Ferrari fans. After coming tantalizingly close to both championships last year (they fought for the constructors’ title until the final race), expectations were sky-high for 2024. The combination of Leclerc’s raw speed and Hamilton’s championship pedigree seemed like a recipe for success.

Instead, we’re witnessing what might be the most disappointing Ferrari campaign in recent memory. Nine races in, and the team has managed just three podium finishes – all courtesy of Leclerc. They’re consistently trailing McLaren, Red Bull, and often even Mercedes in the pecking order.

The radio communications tell their own story. You can hear the tension crackling through the airwaves, especially on Hamilton’s side of the garage. The seven-time champion is clearly struggling to adapt to his new environment, and his Monaco practice crash a few weeks back only highlighted those adaptation challenges.

Leadership under fire

The pressure is mounting on team principal Frédéric Vasseur, who replaced Mattia Binotto two years ago with the mandate to restore Ferrari to championship-winning form. That mission feels increasingly distant as rival teams continue to outpace the Italian squad.

Italian media outlets have been buzzing with speculation about potential replacements for Vasseur’s role. Names being floated include Antonello Coletta, who heads Ferrari’s successful WEC program (they’ve won Le Mans twice recently), and even more surprisingly, Red Bull’s Christian Horner.

But the rumors don’t stop at management changes. There’s growing chatter about Leclerc himself exploring options beyond Maranello when his current deal expires. Can you blame him? The guy has been loyal to Ferrari throughout his career, but watching younger drivers like Oscar Piastri emerge as championship contenders while you’re stuck fighting for scraps has to sting.

The 2027 reset opportunity

Here’s where things get interesting. The new technical regulations arriving in 2026 will create a natural reset point for the grid. By 2027, we’ll know which teams have nailed the new formula and which ones are still playing catch-up. That timing aligns perfectly with when several star drivers, including Leclerc, could become available.

Mercedes has always had a soft spot for the Monaco native, and McLaren’s recent resurgence makes them an attractive destination for any ambitious driver. The question is whether Ferrari can turn things around quickly enough to keep their star driver from looking elsewhere.

Right now, these remain just paddock whispers and media speculation. But in Formula 1, today’s rumors have a funny way of becoming tomorrow’s headlines. The real test will be whether Ferrari can address their performance deficit and internal tensions before they lose more than just championship points.

For now, all eyes are on how the team bounces back from this latest setback in Montreal. With Hamilton still finding his feet and Leclerc making uncharacteristic errors under pressure, Ferrari needs to find solutions fast. The season is far from over, but time is running out to salvage what was supposed to be a championship campaign.

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