Ferrari explains Leclerc's extended stop at Spa

Already, on the track, the Ferrari experienced a very difficult weekend in Belgium with a 13^e and a 14^e final places.

The Scuderia was also the only one to “miss” a refueling, when everyone returned to their box at the time of the safety car, after the exit of Antonio Giovinazzi.

However, the Reds were ideally placed. “ Both drivers were very close to turn 17 and therefore the entrance to the pit lane. Ideally we wanted to bring them on the same lap and do a double stop, like we did in the second race at Silverstone,” explains Inaki Rueda, head of strategy.

But a mechanical problem forced the team to extend the stoppage of Charles Leclerc. “The pneumatic valve system in Charles' car engine was using too much air. Its shutdown therefore had to be longer, because recharging the system normally adds three seconds. »

Inaki Rueda explains the system in detail: “ The engines of Formula 1 use air to operate the valves which, as is the case with gasoline, can sometimes consume more than normal. The air bottle on the car can be filled by connecting it to the compressed air system and in the case of the SF1000 the connector is on the left side.

This is why on TV we saw a mechanic attaching a sort of jack to the car with a bottle of compressed air. These things happen from time to time and we practice these procedures over the course of the race weekend. »

This problem therefore forced Ferrari to let go Hag one more lap on the track, and Charles Leclerc lost a place in the affair. When nothing goes right…