Ferrari Faces Criticism Over Radio Exchange with Charles Leclerc during…read more
Ferrari has come under criticism for a radio exchange during the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc reported water in his cockpit. The conversation, which was intended to be light-hearted, sparked a strong reaction from ex-F1 driver Christian Danner, who called the engineer’s response “disgraceful.” During the race in Melbourne, Leclerc faced challenging weather conditions, including cool temperatures, wind, and rain, which made the track slippery and difficult to navigate. As the conditions worsened toward the end of the race, Leclerc reported an issue with water in his seat.
The exchange between Leclerc and his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, went as follows:
Leclerc: “I have the seat full of water.” Leclerc: “I’ll add that to the words of wisdom.”
While some fans found this amusing, Danner was unimpressed. He felt that the engineer’s response was dismissive and inappropriate, especially for a driver like Leclerc, who is known for his professionalism and rarely complains. Danner criticized the engineer for belittling the issue, pointing out that the response “It’s probably water, you idiot!” was not the right way to address a serious concern from the driver. According to Danner, the proper response should have been to acknowledge the problem and provide a potential solution, such as confirming whether the water bottle was faulty.
Danner’s frustration was compounded by the fact that Leclerc was already under pressure during the race, trying to manage the difficult conditions and maintain control of his car. For him, the engineer’s tone lacked respect and understanding of the driver’s situation. Leclerc had merely reported a problem, not complained about the conditions, and deserved a more professional and helpful response.
The radio communication was one of the key topics that came under scrutiny for Ferrari during the race weekend. The team’s performance in Melbourne was far from ideal, with team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledging that the weekend had been particularly challenging. He pointed out that the track was not a permanent venue, which contributed to the unpredictable grip and ever-changing conditions. Additionally, the extreme weather added further difficulty for the team and drivers to manage.
Vasseur admitted that Ferrari’s communication with Leclerc and their other drivers was not up to standard, and the team would need to improve in this area. He emphasized that the weekend had been a wake-up call for the team, which had made several mistakes. Vasseur also highlighted that the issues Ferrari faced were not solely the fault of the drivers, like Leclerc, but also the team’s internal processes. He expressed the need for better coordination and communication between the drivers, engineers, and the pit crew.
Despite the criticism of Ferrari’s handling of the situation, Leclerc’s race engineer Riccardo Adami, who joined the team for 2025, received praise from none other than seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, in his first race with Ferrari, had a series of tense exchanges with Adami but later acknowledged that the engineer had done a good job overall.
Looking ahead, Ferrari is determined to learn from the mistakes made during the Australian Grand Prix. The team is aiming to improve their communication and avoid similar issues in the future, as they prepare for the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix, which will be the first of the six Sprint weekends in the 2025 season.
