Leclerc calls on Ferrari to address sluggish pit stops

©Ferrari

Charles Leclerc has urged Ferrari to look into its pit stop execution in the wake of the sluggish tyre changes he experienced in Hungary and in Saturday's sprint event at Spa.

At the Hungaroring a week ago, a faulty wheel gun led to a 10-second tyre swap that heavily weighed on Leclerc's race.

At Spa, the Monegasque was among the group of drivers that waited an extra lap after the rolling start to discard their full wets for the Intermediate tyre, a move that saved Ferrari from double stacking its drivers.

"[I] definitely would have preferred, in an ideal world, to come in straight away, but I think we did the right choice," Leclerc said.

"We would have lost too much time pitting behind Carlos, so I had no choice. It wasn’t ideal but it’s the way it is."

2023 Belgian Grand Prix - Sprint Race results

But when Leclerc came in to receive his set of Inters, the swap lasted a lengthy five seconds. The Scuderia remined his team that if Ferrari's pace isn't good enough out on the track then its execution needs to be flawless in the pitlane.

"What hurt us is the slow pitstop, this we need to look into because it’s been two races where we’re struggling a bit more with the pitstops," he said.

"As I said many times, when we’re not fast enough we need to maximise all our points and today we didn’t.

"Today, yes, we’re only speaking about one or two points but it’s still one or two points and we need to make sure we maximise everything."

On Friday, Leclerc qualified second for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix but he'll start the race from pole thanks to a five-spot grid penalty handed to Max Verstappen following Red Bull's decision to replace the gearbox on the Dutchman's car.

Leclerc emphasized the need for Ferrari to maximize its opportunity on Sunday.

"It’s important, every race is important," he said.

"Yeah, considering we’ve had a strong weekend in terms of pace compared to others, I think it’s important that we maximise the race tomorrow and that we show solid pace, solid strategy and without many mistakes."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.