Charles Leclerc conjures up “Lourdes”: his incredible 2023 numbers

He himself talks about bad luck, and the numbers prove him right.

Charles Leclerc and his Ferrari did not even start in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, after the Monegasque’s SF-23 è ended up against the barriers on the pre-race formation lap at Interlagos. An episode so unreal and curious that it generated a live outburst from the person concerned never so explicit: "Whyé am I so unlucky, c****? Whyé am I soì unlucky?". And indeed so many incidents that have occurred in the last two years authorize one to speak of bad luck.

"I lost the hydraulics of the steering wheel. The rear wheels locked on their own, there was nothing I could do about it. Coming home after three corners hurts a little bit, maybe I should go to Lourdes", Leclerc commented in standing bowls to the microphones of 'Sky Sport'. The "trip to Lourdes" had, moreover, already been evoked by the satellite broadcaster during the live broadcast of the Grand Prix and was also jokingly suggested via social media by Ryanair.

In any case, the technical problems that hit it on potentially very promising weekends are beginning to be numerous indeed, and they are not just about a nightmarish 2023. Rewinding the tape, one cannot but begin with the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, which Leclerc did not race in spite of winning pole position because of a broken driveshaft. Then, in the following season, in both Montmelò and Baku a start by him in front of everyone ended with the engine failure of his Ferrari and a subsequent double retirement.

One must then remember the disqualification that came this year in the United States, where he had started first and finished the race in third place. But in 2023 in particular there have been only five weekends so far in which Leclerc has not had to deal with mishaps of any kind. This is certified by two retirements in the first three rainbow events, with a disqualification in Saudi Arabia in between. Then the departure from the pit lane in the Spanish Grand Prix, various strategy problems, the bitter retirement in Holland, a new penalty in the Sprint Race in Qatar and finally the recent cases in Austin and Interlagos.