Leclerc Vows To Speak Up After Strategy Failure
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc said he should have let his feelings be known when he was told to pit early in the Mexican Grand Prix.
OMNISPORT
Charles Leclerc has vowed to make more noise over the team radio after another failed Ferrari strategy cost him victory in the Mexican Grand Prix.
Leclerc made a good start from pole position at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez but was called into the pits when leading on lap 16, just after Red Bull's Alexander Albon was fitted with fresh tires.
The Frenchman was unable to make headway when he returned to the track and could only finish fourth as Lewis Hamilton took the checkered flag ahead of Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton, who was unable to wrap up the title because Valtteri Bottas finished third, stopped only the once in Mexico City and Vettel also used just the two sets of tires.
Vettel told his garage that it was too early to pit when he was first ordered to come in for a tire change and Leclerc plans to be more assertive after another missed opportunity.
He said: "The last few weekends and today the strategy has not been good. But I should have come on the radio and asked for something and been more decisive in the decision to try to help the team make the right decision on my side, which Seb did. So I need to learn from that and hopefully it will come in time."
Leclerc said a two-stop strategy was not the only reason why he was left to reflect on what might have been. He stated: "I think that the second stint was not particularly great. I didn't feel good on this medium compound, I don't know why.
"The first medium felt a lot better so we need to understand this and analyze this."