Charles Leclerc Furious on Radio After Ferrari Delays Lewis Hamilton Swap
Charles Leclerc Furious on Radio After Ferrari Delays Lewis Hamilton Swap originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Charles Leclerc's frustration boiled over on the team radio during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix as Ferrari's delayed decision to swap positions with Lewis Hamilton threatened to derail their race strategy.
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On lap 7 of 66, Leclerc made a critical radio plea after showing better pace than his teammate. 'Guys, I'm sacrificing my qualifying to be fast in the race, it's not to slow us down in the race. So yea, you choose how faster I can go, I can only tell you if I have free air. I'm stuck now.'
The Monegasque driver was visibly trapped behind Hamilton, unable to find clean air to maximize his pace.
Ferrari's response was slow. Only after a tense few laps did they finally order the swap. Hamilton obeyed immediately on lap 10 allowing Leclerc to pass into fourth place.
Charles Leclerc walks to the Drivers' Parade with Lewis Hamilton.However, the delay in swapping the drivers can prove costly. By the time the change was executed, Leclerc and Hamilton were already more than five seconds behind Lando Norris in third place, effectively putting Ferrari on the back foot against McLaren's pace.
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This radio drama highlights a recurring issue with Ferrari's in-race communication and timing decisions in 2025. Leclerc's sacrifice of qualifying performance, where he compromised his lap to optimize race speed, was meant to give him a strategic edge. But without timely support from the pit wall, the gamble risks falling flat.
As the race progresses, Ferrari faces an uphill battle to close the gap to the leaders. Leclerc's radio messages not only reveal his mounting frustration but also raise questions about Ferrari's operational efficiency under pressure.
Related: Lance Stroll Explodes After Qualifying, Pulls Out of Spanish GP
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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