During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying, a standout rivalry unfolded with Charles Leclerc emerging as Max Verstappen’s nearest competitor. However, before this, as the events unfolded Ferrari added a touch of humor to the proceedings by sharing a meme.
The event’s tone shifted suddenly as Ferrari posted a widely circulated meme on its official X account. In the viral tweet, Ferrari stated, “Booking our ticket to Q3 one last time for the year.” Interestingly, based on the context of the meme, the Prancing Horse seemed to be anticipating that Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri would outpace Charles Leclerc. This was because the Japanese driver demonstrated the fast speed of his AT04.
Looks like the @ScuderiaFerrari admin has some F1 memes in their photo gallery #F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/Wq2Ksy2Dqu
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) November 25, 2023
Nevertheless, despite this playful prediction, Leclerc ultimately emerged as the second-fastest competitor on the Yas Marina Circuit. Notably, following the eventual outcome of the qualifying where Leclerc got a surprising P2, Ferrari opted to delete the comments.
The Ferrari admin’s actions weren’t without reason given that fans were unaware of Ferrari’s challenges during the Abu Dhabi weekend like Sainz’s FP2 crash and FP1 blocking incident. Interestingly the meme’s context would’ve been relevant especially as Ferrari struggled again during qualifying. However, when Leclerc, against all odds, navigated through the challenges and secured an unexpected P2, it became a captivating moment for fans.
Fans react to Charles Leclerc’ s unexpected P2 position at the Abu Dhabi GP
Ferrari’s decision to humorously poke fun at its own driver reveals the recognition of AlphaTauri’s recent strong performances. Following Daniel Ricciardo’s impressive P7 at the Mexican Grand Prix, AlphaTauri has become a team worth monitoring. Considering this in the penultimate race, the team displayed stability with gradual floor upgrades and the incorporation of Red Bull’s RB19 rear suspension from Singapore.
While Ferrari on the other hand, constrained by a tight budget cap, didn’t initially seem poised to outperform AlphaTauri. Nevertheless, when Leclerc, successfully navigated the challenges posed by the AT04 and secured aP2, it became a thrilling moment for fans.
i love how they deleted the tweet with the meme, re-uploaded it and attached a pic of the wrong car https://t.co/4mUZ67ewEA
— emi (@maraneIlo) November 25, 2023
They can delete it from Twitter.
But they can’t delete it from our eyes.
— Ferrari News (@FanaticsFerrari) November 25, 2023
Interestingly supporters were also seen making meme references to mock Ferrari’s behavior.
Saving this tweet before Ferrari deletes it
pic.twitter.com/DaRPzd64LT— V F1 (@swiftsambi) November 25, 2023
FERRARI, WE HAVE IT pic.twitter.com/WAkHMiKZQh
— clara (@leclercsletters) November 25, 2023