Charles Leclerc is kicking off the race weekend in Imola with upgrades to both his car and pit wall. At least, that’s the 26-year-old Monegasque’s hope. Leclerc was informed a week ago that he had to bid farewell to his trusted race engineer, Xavier Marcos Padros. Ferrari assigned him Bryan Bozzi, formerly his performance engineer – a move that came as a surprise to the driver.
Leclerc was asked on Thursday about his new race engineer and the sudden switch. “The margins between the different teams are very small, so anything can make a difference,” the driver admitted. “The decision was made by Xavier and the team. They apparently had other plans.” The Ferrari driver will now have to work with Bryan Bozzi, formerly his performance engineer and a key player in the Italian racing stable.
Smooth Transition to New Engineer
“I’ve been working with Bryan since my first race for Ferrari,” Leclerc explained. “He knows exactly how everything works, so it’s not like I have to start from scratch. So far, everything has gone very smoothly.”
Previous Challenges with Communication
While Leclerc thanked his previous race engineer via social media for his efforts, their working relationship wasn’t always smooth sailing. Over the team radio, there were often discussions between the driver and Xavier Marcos Padros. The latter is now known for his standard ‘copy, we are checking’ message. “Communication was always a bit of an issue with Xavier,” Leclerc admitted.
