The moment F1 announced that Charles Leclerc would not start the Monaco GP race, a swarm of hatred engulfed the Ferrari F1 team.
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Most of the fans criticized the Reds for failing to address the problem in the Monegasque’s car and choosing to race without changing the gearbox or chassis.
However, Mattia Binotto finally made it clear that the transmission had nothing to do with Leclerc’s DNA at his home Grand Prix. Instead, it was the driveshaft that prevented Leclerc from racing at home after his first home win.
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And given the lack of time, Ferrari had to abandon the mission and let Leclerc take a painful walk back to his garage. But many still wonder how the team failed to notice the damage despite two full rounds of post-crash checks.
Why Ferrari couldn’t see the damage
According to Auto Motor Und Sport, Ferrari was only able to determine the damage after the car was brought to Maranello for an in-depth analysis.
During the analysis at the factory, Ferrari discovered a tiny crack in the wheel hub. It was exactly at the point where the drive shaft starts. In addition, the shaft looked very normal and showed no damage to the drive shaft.
Formula 1 F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 22, 2021 Charles Leclerc of Ferrari celebrates pole position after the qualifying pool over REUTERS / Sebastien Nogier
Therefore, the Reds could only determine the damage through a careful examination using ultrasound.
This ends the criticism that Ferrari has faced since the start of the GP race in Monaco. Binotto also made it clear that changing the gearbox would not have changed Leclerc’s fate.
“Even if we had changed the gearbox, the damage would have occurred,” said the Italian.
Maranello outfit Surprised driveshaft damaged
At the beginning, the Leclerc’s crash never looked severe as the impact on Turn 16 came around a fairly slow turn. And the fact that neither the landing gear nor the transmission was damaged says it all.
However, the Ferrari mechanics were quite surprised to find that the driveshaft had suffered a minor blow. In addition, it was extremely unusual for this particular component to crack from impact.
Formula 1 F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – Ferraris Charles Leclerc in action during the REUTERS / Eric Gaillard qualifying
It was the impact around the second corner into the swimming pool chicane that damaged Leclerc’s car so slightly and yet significantly. Overall, it was a tough race weekend for Leclerc and his crew.
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The good news, however, is that Ferrari looks strong enough to extend its dominance into the upcoming weekend in Baku. Can Leclerc get his redemption at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix? Only time can tell.
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The post Why Ferrari failed to notice Leclerc’s faulty driveshaft despite thorough checks first appeared on monter-une-startup.
