Charles Leclerc says he wants answers to Ferrari's strategy which potentially cost him a third victory of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Monegasque driver led the field away from pole and managed his pace to control the race whilst looking after the fragile red-marked Soft Pirelli tyres.
Leclerc was caught out by Ferrari's call to pit team-mate Sebastian Vettel on lap 19, and when he himself pitted two laps later, emerged behind Vettel with the undercut strategy working for the German, who went on to claim the victory with Leclerc taking second.
When asked about the call – of which Leclerc was visibly frustrated by over team radio – he replied: "The only answer I need [from the team] is that was there no other way for us to be first and second in the same order before the pit-stop?
"This is the only answer I need," he added.
"I don’t know if I could have stopped earlier, I’m pretty sure it was not possible otherwise I would have done that as you never usually undercut one car with the other in the same team. I’m pretty sure this was the case, I just need the confirmation.
"It’s frustrating. I’ve had a good qualifying yesterday, I stuck to the plan at the beginning of the race. We had to slow down as much as we could for the pit window to not open for the others and then started to push… I did not expect the undercut, but that’s life and sometimes it goes that way."
Despite his frustration at losing another possible victory, he vowed to come back stronger at the next race in Russia and applauded Ferrari's 1-2 finish – their first of the season and the first-ever for a team at the Singapore GP.
"It’s always difficult to lose a win like that, but at the end, it’s a one-two for the team and I’m happy for that, it’s the first one from the season, so all the guys deserved it.
"We arrived here hoping for maybe a podium and we come back with a one-two, so for that, I’m extremely happy.
"Of course I’m disappointed on my side, as anyone would be, but it’s sometimes like this, it goes that way and I’ll come back stronger."
