Charles Leclerc says accusations of Ferrari cheating are only efforts to destabilise the team.
This week, more questions have been asked about the legality of the Italian team’s engine, which has led the way in terms of performance for much of the year.
Suggestions have been that Ferrari is using a grey area in the rules to add oil to the fuel for a single-lap boost, which would explain why their advantage is largely limited to qualifying.
However, while the governing body has maintained everything is in line with the regulations, not everyone agrees.
“The absurd advantage is impossible to accomplish legally because the technology is already very well developed,” a rival team member was quoted by GiveMeSport as telling Auto Bild.
“Ferrari cheats and the FIA knows it, but it doesn’t matter, because it would be a huge scandal.”
Also Read:
- Hamilton & Verstappen fear Ferrari now unbeatable in qualifying
- Leclerc doesn’t expect a repeat of Ferrari’s Sochi start fiasco in Mexico
- Binotto: Ferrari progress the ‘sum of everything’ done since Spain
Asked about those comments, however, Leclerc sees it as little more than gamesmanship after the progress Ferrari has made since the summer.
“I think any time a team is in a good moment, obviously everyone is looking at the small things to try and destabilise the team,” he said in Mexico. “That’s not happening.
“I think we are very confident inside the team that there is no problem with that, so it doesn’t affect us.”
The straight-line advantage of the Ferrari again has Mercedes and Red Bull worried heading to the Americas and their concerns were well-founded as Sebastian Vettel led the way in terms of time and top speed.