Damon Hill has called on Charles Leclerc to take some responsibility after Ferrari's latest strategy error in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Leclerc was the only driver in the field to start Q3 on Intermediate tyres. With track conditions still being mostly dry at this point, the Monegasque struggled, but was initially told to stay out on track. The call to swap to slicks came too late; the session was soon red-flagged after George Russell spun off the track and, by the time it had resumed, the increasing rainfall meant that nobody was able to improve on their earlier lap time. Leclerc – who was left down in P10 – was furious about being the only car to start the session on slicks, having sarcastically said of the decision over team radio: "Guys, beautiful, f****** beautiful."
Hill compares Leclerc's attitude to Verstappen's
Reflecting on the incident after the race, former F1 driver Hill suggested that Leclerc should change his attitude and shoulder some of the blame. "You can see Charles is criticising the team on the radio effectively by saying, 'Nice one guys', but he has to assume some responsibility as well," Hill told Sky Sports F1 . "Maybe they aren't letting him do that or maybe he hasn't got the courage to assume it for himself." Hill believes there is a contrast here between how Leclerc and his former title rival Max Verstappen function within their teams. "Could you imagine Max Verstappen saying, 'What are we doing?'," the 1996 World Champion said. "His personality is such that he commands attention and I think that is part and parcel of being a leading driver in a team."
Ferrari's situation 'upsetting', says Hill
The strategy mishap is not Ferrari's first of the 2022 campaign, and Hill feels that the team need to "get the fundamentals right" in order to improve their fortunes. "What is going on in Ferrari?" Hill questioned. "Who is going to take charge of this situation because it has been going on all year? It is very upsetting in a way because you can see they have the potential." The Scuderia currently have a 40-point advantage over Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship battle for P2.
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