Charles Leclerc has called on F1 to enforce rules banning drivers from dumping tear-offs on the track.
Charles Leclerc was forced to pit well ahead of schedule during the F1 Belgian Grand Prix following a tear-off allegedly dropped by rival Max Verstappen entered his brake duct, causing the brakes to overheat.
Charles Leclerc said drivers “cannot calculate” where tear-offs are likely to land when they fall, and that new solutions are needed.
“Of course I’m not mad at Max at all,” Leclerc stressed.
“Obviously not the driver’s fault.”
“But we might look into something to find a way to keep the tear-off somewhere in the car.”
Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen started the race in the bottom half of the field due to grid penalties. Several cars drove alongside at the start, spreading dirt and dust, and Lewis Hamilton’s damaged Mercedes began leaking fluid.
That said, many drivers have removed tear-offs to improve visibility. Charles Leclerc said it would be hard to avoid picking up one of them.
“If we can find a solution to tear off in the car, that would be good,” said Leclerc.
“In this particular situation I think someone was missing oil or something so I mightn’t see anything in the visor. All the drivers in front of me mightn’t see anything in the visor. rice field”
“It just so happened that the first time I had to take a tear-off was on the straight, so I noticed the tear-offs flying all over the place. In that case, there’s not much you can do as a driver.”
International sporting regulations stipulate that tear-offs “must not be thrown into the track or pit lane unnecessarily”.
Removing tear-offs and discarding them on the track to improve visibility has not previously received the attention of the stewards.
The FIA briefly pursued it in 2016, but later backed out following failing to find a satisfactory solution to keep the used tear-offs in the cockpit.
“I think there were reasons why this rule was abolished that I am unaware of,” added Charles Leclerc.
“But maybe there was another solution. I don’t know.”
Category: F1 / Charles Leclerc / Ferrari
