Gino Rosato, a longtime Scuderia Ferrari veteran and close aide to Michael Schumacher, expressed his gratitude to Charles Leclerc for a lunch meeting during the summer break of the 2024 Formula 1 season. The catch-up took place shortly after the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Leclerc experienced a challenging race, underscoring a notable moment of connection between the team’s past and present.
A Meeting Between Ferrari’s Past and Present Figures
Gino Rosato played a crucial role at Ferrari over many years, focusing on team logistics and internal affairs rather than trackside engineering. Known as a “fix-man” within the paddock, Rosato built a strong bond with Michael Schumacher during his successful years with Ferrari. Although Rosato left the team in 2023, he remains close to several F1 figures, maintaining relationships across the paddock.
On August 4, Rosato shared a selfie on his Instagram story featuring himself alongside Charles Leclerc and his brother Lorenzo, thanking them for the lunch. This personal moment came as Formula 1 entered its summer break following the Hungarian GP. Rosato has previously been seen connecting with other high-profile drivers like Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen, showing his lasting presence in the sport’s inner circle.
“Thanks for lunch. It was nice to catch up,” wrote Rosato, as he tagged Charles and Lorenzo Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc’s Disappointment After the Hungarian Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc publicly admitted to feeling “very disappointed” after his performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he was unable to convert his pole position into a podium finish. At 27 years old, the Monegasque driver struggled to maintain pace, eventually falling off the podium and expressing visible frustration immediately after the race.
Leclerc acknowledged that the race weekend offered no positives and emphasized the importance of seizing every chance at victory, especially with limited opportunities during the season. He highlighted the team’s need to analyze what went wrong, although he suggested the problems may have been outside their control.
“Very disappointed. I don’t take any positives from this weekend when we ended the weekend like that,” said Leclerc. [via Formula1.com]
“When we have one opportunity in a year to win a race, we need to take it and today we didn’t. Now we will analyze what are the reasons why we had this problem. I don’t think it’s anything that we had in our control, but we’ll check,” he added.
Technical Challenges Impact Ferrari’s Race Pace
Leclerc revealed that a chassis problem contributed to his loss of pace to competitors like McLaren during the second phase of the Hungarian GP. Mercedes driver George Russell speculated that Ferrari’s need to raise tire pressures in the final stint to manage their low ride height may have further affected performance.
This technical setback prevented Leclerc from capitalizing on his strong qualifying position, leading to one of the more frustrating weekends of the season for Ferrari’s lead driver.
Significance and Outlook for Ferrari
The lunch between Gino Rosato and Charles Leclerc serves as a reminder of the deep connections and history within Scuderia Ferrari, bridging the past with the current generation as the team navigates a difficult phase. Leclerc’s ongoing challenges highlight Ferrari’s urgent need to resolve technical issues and maximize every opportunity as the 2024 season progresses.
With Rosato’s continued presence around key figures in F1 and Leclerc’s determination to rebound, this meeting also symbolizes the close-knit environment and support system surrounding Ferrari’s drivers. As the team analyzes their setbacks, fans and insiders will be watching closely to see how Ferrari adapts in the races ahead.
