Leclerc Slams F1 Rules as a 'Fing Joke'!

Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc didn't hold back during qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, launching a scathing attack on Formula 1's new regulations. Leclerc, who qualified fourth, voiced his frustration quite strongly over the team radio, calling the rules a 'f***ing joke'. The qualifying session at Suzuka saw him line up next to McLaren's Oscar Piastri, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli heading another Mercedes front-row lock-out.

This weekend's race features a tweak to the rules on energy in qualifying, with the FIA choosing to see cars have one less megajoule. The new 50-50 hybrid engines are causing significant changes in how drivers tackle each lap, with the natural instincts to take corners as fast as possible no longer applicable, due to the need to conserve energy.

Drivers must now go slower in unnatural parts of the circuit to produce an overall faster lap time.

Adapting to the new regulations is proving challenging for the drivers, who now have to prioritize energy management over speed in the corners. Leclerc had already expressed his dissatisfaction with the new cars last year when he sampled an early simulator iteration at Ferrari's Maranello HQ. Leclerc did not hesitate to express his frustration over the radio. “I honestly cannot stand these rules in qualifying,” he raged. “It’s a f***ing joke! I go faster in corners, I go on the throttle earlier, for f**k’s sake, I lose everything in the straight!”

The new regulations are certainly leaving drivers feeling somewhat confused as intuition is entirely out of the window, and it might be some time, if ever, before drivers will truly get used to them.

The need to conserve energy has altered the race dynamics, forcing drivers to adopt a more strategic approach. The change in regulations has meant that drivers must slow down in areas of the circuit where they previously accelerated at full throttle. This adjustment in racing strategy has generated criticism and frustration among the drivers, who must adapt to these new demands to optimize their performance on the track. George Russell also lamented a ‘really odd’ qualifying at the F1 Japanese GP.