Charles Leclerc has accepted responsibility for going too far in his opening-lap battle with Lewis Hamilton at Monza, but the Ferrari driver has also questioned why incidents involving the Scuderia’s teammates attract so much attention compared with similar clashes elsewhere on the Formula 1 grid. Speaking ahead of the Madrid Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc insisted that what happened at the Italian Grand Prix has not damaged his relationship with Lewis Hamilton.
Charles Leclerc is one of the drivers attracting the most attention before the Madrid weekend following everything that happened at Monza with Lewis Hamilton. The contact between the two Ferrari drivers at the start, followed later by Charles Leclerc’s accident, became one of the most discussed subjects after the race. With Charles Leclerc’s participation in the Spanish weekend still to be confirmed, Ferrari’s number 16 has now revisited the events at Monza’s Temple of Speed.
Charles Leclerc accepts responsibility for Lewis Hamilton clash at Monza
Asked by Thomas Maher of PlanetF1 about responsibility for the incident with Lewis Hamilton at the start, Charles Leclerc did not attempt to avoid the issue. The Ferrari driver acknowledged that, after reviewing the available footage, he recognised that he had pushed the situation too far at Turn 2.
“After reviewing what happened with the various videos, we spoke with Lewis. Obviously I know I went too far in Turn 2 and I didn’t waste any time speaking to him about it. From now on I think it’s very clear what we should do and what we should avoid,” Charles Leclerc explained.
The comments come amid a wider discussion over how Ferrari should manage Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc when they race each other, particularly after the tension generated by the opening stages of the Italian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc was unwilling to reveal the details of his private conversation with Lewis Hamilton, but stressed that the incident had not created a personal problem between Ferrari’s two drivers.
“I won’t go into the details of what we said to each other. The only thing I can say is that it definitely hasn’t affected the good relationship between us. And that’s the most important thing for me, really,” Charles Leclerc added.
Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur has also addressed the situation since Monza, explaining the principles he expects both drivers to follow when representing the team. The broader debate over Ferrari’s rules for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc after Monza has therefore continued into the Madrid Grand Prix weekend.
Charles Leclerc questions scrutiny of Ferrari after Monza
The disappointment of retiring from Ferrari’s home Grand Prix is clearly still fresh for Charles Leclerc. He also acknowledged that the circumstances inevitably magnified the reaction because the incident happened at Monza, where expectations and attention surrounding Ferrari are especially intense.
“Then, of course, I mean, I know we’re driving for Ferrari and if there’s one race where you don’t want that to happen, it’s Monza, and when these things happen at our home race, then it creates a huge mess outside,” Charles Leclerc said.
However, Charles Leclerc also took issue with what he believes has been an excessive focus on his battle with Lewis Hamilton. Other teammates experienced moments of friction during the same race, yet the Ferrari pairing remained at the centre of the discussion.
“However, I mean, looking at the race from the outside, there was also a bit of friction between other teammates, but we always end up talking about me and Lewis, which I don’t think is entirely fair,” Charles Leclerc concluded.
The level of scrutiny surrounding the two Ferrari drivers has already generated criticism and debate, including differing assessments of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s Monza clash. For now, however, Charles Leclerc’s comments suggest that the relationship inside Ferrari remains calm. Whether that remains the case will ultimately be judged by what happens on track.
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