Jolyon Palmer: Charles Leclerc’s Miami Dash Crash Uncovered Ferrari’s Dangerous Technique Gamble
Jolyon Palmer believes Ferrari invited scrutiny over their strategic decisions on the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, significantly after Charles Leclerc’s pricey mistake within the Dash. The previous F1 driver famous that whereas Ferrari’s decision-making had some logic behind it, the end result made the staff seem careless underneath moist circumstances.
Charles Leclerc endured what was arguably his most disappointing race weekend in latest reminiscence. The 27-year-old didn’t even begin the Dash on the Onerous Rock Stadium after crashing on his reconnaissance lap, and later completed solely seventh within the Grand Prix, trailing the race winner by over 57 seconds. It marked considered one of his weakest performances in totally dry circumstances in practically a 12 months—he hadn’t positioned outdoors the highest 5 in a dry race since ending eleventh in Austria through the 2024 season.
Since then, he had dipped beneath P5 solely twice: as soon as with a 14th-place consequence at Silverstone in 2024, and once more with eighth within the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. Miami’s results have been a transparent regression, highlighting deeper points at Ferrari past simply driver type.
Charles Leclerc’s Dash crash questioned Ferrari’s intermediate tyre technique
Palmer centered closely on Charles Leclerc’s crash en path to the grid for the Dash, an incident that stemmed from Ferrari’s daring name to suit each their drivers with intermediate tyres within the midst of deteriorating climate. Whereas Lewis Hamilton managed to make it safely to his grid slot, Charles Leclerc was not as lucky, dropping management underneath aquaplaning circumstances and smashing into the wall. The collision destroyed the right-front suspension of his SF-25 and ended his Dash earlier than it even started.
Palmer argued that the incident drew “comprehensible questions” about Ferrari’s judgement. Nonetheless, he additionally sympathized with their reasoning, declaring that the Dash format solely permits a single out-lap to the grid—not like the Grand Prix, the place a number of reconnaissance runs by means of the pits are permitted. In keeping with the previous Method 1 driver, the Maranello staff’s strategists possible opted for intermediates to achieve precious info underneath the idea that the Dash wouldn’t require full moist tyres throughout its 19-lap period.
Nonetheless, the sudden improve in rainfall throughout Charles Leclerc’s out-lap turned that technique right into a obtrusive miscalculation. Palmer noticed that different groups took discover and adjusted accordingly, selecting full wets for security. In hindsight, Ferrari’s strategy regarded overly aggressive and in the end backfired.
Charles Leclerc’s Dash DNF ends spectacular factors streak
The harm from Charles Leclerc’s pre-race incident was not simply bodily. His crash marked the tip of a constant run within the Dash format—he had scored factors in every of the final 9 Dash occasions, relationship again to the 2023 United States Grand Prix. His document included a runner-up end within the 2024 Miami Dash and a third-place in the principle race that very same weekend, highlighting how drastically issues had shifted in only one 12 months.
Because the Monegasque driver;s SF-25 was towed away, Ferrari mechanics ready at P6 on the grid might barely conceal their dismay. The incident additionally underscored broader challenges at Ferrari, with the staff’s race-day dynamics underneath scrutiny after seen on-track pressure between Charles Leclerc and his teammate. Their public disagreement over staff orders additional difficult an already tough weekend in Florida.
Now, with their dwelling race at Imola on the horizon, Ferrari shall be determined to rebound. However except strategic readability and tyre administration enhance, critics like Palmer might proceed to query whether or not the staff has what it takes to really problem the likes of McLaren and Crimson Bull this season.
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