The Monaco Grand Prix ended prematurely once again for Charles Leclerc. The home driver crashed into a wall while running in third place, but that accident has opened Pandora’s box at Ferrari. For Leclerc has revealed that Ferrari is not actually using Brembo brakes.
Leclerc refused to take the blame for the crash and revealed that he uses braking components different from those of Lewis Hamilton. It soon emerged that the Brit is using brakes from Carbon Industries, though the Ferrari-Brembo partnership remains in place. A scandal that cost the iconic Italian brand nearly 200 million in the stock market in 48 hours.
The historic Ferrari-Brembo alliance has been torn apart by Leclerc
“I don’t intend to take responsibility for this.” Those were the first words Charles Leclerc shouted over the radio after crashing into the wall of Antony Noghès in Monaco. The Ferrari driver pointed to the brakes, and he did not hold back when speaking to the press, revealing an important secret of those from Maranello.
Leclerc indicated that for several races he hadn’t been using the same brake configuration as Hamilton, and added that in Barcelona, the next Formula 1 race, he would do so. He did not go into further detail, but he set the hook for anyone who wanted to investigate, and soon the truth came to light: Hamilton is not using Brembo brakes.
Although Brembo has been a partner of Ferrari for years, and theoretically supplies the brakes for Maranello’s Formula 1 cars, the reality is that Hamilton is using brake discs from Carbon Industries, Brembo’s competitor, albeit with the Italian brand’s badge on them. A scandal that has had consequences.
The market value of Brembo plunged almost immediately. In the following 48 hours after the Monaco race, the Italian company lost nearly $200 million, though it has since recovered somewhat. Moreover, the crashed car, Leclerc’s, was precisely the one that did indeed carry Brembo brakes.
Now Leclerc is going to install Cabron Industries brakes in Barcelona, to match Hamilton. If it works, it could spell the end of the historic Ferrari-Brembo alliance, two Italian brands that have always gone hand in hand but that, clearly, have not enjoyed the mutual trust required.
And it is that Hamilton is an extremely brake-sensitive driver to the point of convincing the entire team if necessary to change them. Fernando Alonso suffered it at McLaren, Nico Rosberg at Mercedes suffered it, and now Charles Leclerc at Ferrari is suffering from it. Time will tell if the Monégasque has been right to follow his teammate’s lead.
Images | Ferrari
