In a season marred with DNFs, it was another forgetful day for Charles Leclerc as the Monegasque could not see the start of the Sao Paulo GP in his car. Sitting on the sidelines for the entirety of the 71-lap race, a lot went through the 26-year-old’s mind. One such thought was that he was cursed, and it needed immediate remedy.
Disappointed to say the least. Lost the power steering and the engine power on the formation lap. It hurts pic.twitter.com/J7kIESy3Do
— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) November 5, 2023
Having often been at the receiving end of inexplicable events that led to him not completing a race this season, Leclerc figured that it could be a curse. Joking about the same, the Ferrari driver claimed he might have to go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes before arriving in Las Vegas for the next race, as reported by Last Word on Sports.
“I’m going to Los Angeles, but maybe I’ll move my flight to go to Lourdes beforehand – to get a bit of luck.”
As the cars went out on the track for the formation lap in Sao Paulo, P3 sitter Leclerc somehow lost his power steering and slammed into the barriers, bringing his race to an end. As the Ferrari engineers continue to figure out what went wrong, a hydraulic failure leading to a loss of steering stands as the primary cause.
By speaking about going to Lourdes, Leclerc might be looking to wash away all the sins that have brought the supposed curse upon him. According to the belief, the French town of Lourdes is where the Holy Mother of God appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubiros in the Grotto of Masabielle.
As such, the town holds a lot of religious significance, with people traveling from all across the globe to get the blessings. Given Ferrari’s current position in F1, the team might also benefit from Leclerc’s pilgrimage.
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari will need all the help they can get
With only two races left in the season, Mercedes holds a slender lead of only 20 points over Ferrari in the constructor’s championship. Given there are enough points for Ferrari to try and retain their finish from last year, the focus will be on Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to pull off stunning drives in both races.
With the W14 struggling once again, it might not be a tough task for the Prancing Horse, but the previous two races say otherwise.
TEAM STANDINGS (after Sao Paulo Grand Prix)
Red Bull have more points than second and third combined! #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/mKI7PHnFL6
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 5, 2023
Nonetheless, both Ferrari drivers would look to finish the year off on a strong foot and set the tone for the upcoming season. Given Ferrari will bin the current car concept, it will be key for the drivers to register a strong result to instill their team with some much-needed confidence to be able to work on an entirely new concept for the next season.
