Ferrari were one of the surprise strugglers at the Las Vegas Grand Prix as they were plagued by tyre warm-up issues.
They were impressive during the inaugural instalment of the race last year, which was won by Max Verstappen over Charles Leclerc.
This time, Mercedes were dominant in the cool temperatures, while they joined Red Bull in a battle for the final spot on the podium.
Carlos Sainz won that out, but it wasn’t without controversy, which appeared to boil over after the race via team radio.
Fred Vasseur ‘might’ suggest Charles Leclerc to ‘reign it in’
Audibly aggrieved by his team’s decision-making, Leclerc delivered a sweary outburst, before realising he had accidentally left his radio on.
There had been some swapping between the two Ferrari drivers, and in the end, the Monegasque driver felt as if he had been dealt a tough hand.
Speaking on the Drive to Wynn podcast, ex-McLaren driver David Coulthard discussed what the Scuderia’s reaction to the incident may be.
“He’s going to have a chat with Charles, isn’t he? He’ll say ‘Buddy, take your instructions, you’re paid by the team, if you don’t like it, go somewhere else’. Whatever they say.
“He might go ‘These are the circumstances that led us to make the decision we did, we’ve got all the information, you don’t just reign it in on the radio until we have a conversation afterwards.’”
Why Ferrari has to refocus quickly
Considering the bigger picture, Ferrari are fighting to end a 16-year championship drought currently, so swapping the positions of their cars is the last of their priorities.
Risking giving up points for their rivals could be incredibly costly, especially when they still have a 24-point gap to overcome.
Both the Qatar Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be warmer and should play to their strengths a bit more – eradicating any tyre graining issues.
READ MORE: Martin Brundle stunned by what Charles Leclerc did at the Las Vegas Grand Prix that ‘ruined’ his race
It would be a terrific farewell for Sainz to bow out from the team before he joins Williams by helping them win some significant silverware.
However, their McLaren rivals are tricky opponents and won’t spare an inch on the track, setting up a thrilling end to the season for fans.
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