all-minds-matter

[leqclerc]

Wait, what happened? What did they do now? Ferrari, I mean

Basically, a new Charles interview dropped where he talks about the failed title bid and how the team still has a ways to go to improve and perform better.

Something that's stuck out to people, though, is the bit where he admits the mechanics/engineers didn't always give him what he needed out of the car (he doesn't go into details though) and he candidly reiterates he prefers an oversteery car to an understeery car, which is no secret.

Laurent and even Carlos himself admitted that the team's been modifying the car to better suit his preferences and driving style to help him get more performance out of it. The car started out being more attuned to Charles's driving style (and as such being quick and competitive against RB) and the more they tried to tailor it to Carlos, the more the package started falling apart, Charles started struggling with balance, set-up, etc. and the performance started dropping off.

Meanwhile, the team seems to have thrown Charles a belated birthday party in Austin. Afaik he's never really had his birthday celebrated in the paddock because it tends to fall on non-race weekends, and, like, that's fine. But now there's a cake and singing and it's all on social media, with fans taking the credit for "bullying" the team into doing it... Which is great, nice cake, whatever, but it's kind of frustrating that they're busy playing found family and doing all these performative acts of support because it looks good on social media and gets them positive engagement, but then when it comes to more serious matters like preferential strategies or listening to Charles's feedback in setting up or upgrading the car, they're shutting all that down. Idk, it's just hard to constantly hear how they rate him and support him and love him but then in practice it's so hit or miss. I don't get it. Like this isn't exactly filling me with confidence that they'll try and do better by him next year, you know? But hey here's a cutesy video to smooth things over<3

If they put an ounce of the social media/PR energy into planning strategies they'd be so powerful, alas 🤧 Why can't they do both well? What's stopping them from showing everyone Charles is their team leader and their championship hope instead of just endlessly talking about it?