Among the many noteworthy moments in Charles Leclerc’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix—during which he delivered a spectacular comeback to finish sixth after starting 11th—there was also a friendly derby in the opening laps with his friend Pierre Gasly. The Monegasque Ferrari driver has known Pierre Gasly since childhood, as they both rose through the ranks together from karting to junior series.
The two found themselves battling side by side during the second lap in a no-holds-barred duel, and the worst of it was suffered by the Alpine driver, who went wide and into the gravel at Piratella, dropping from ninth to 14th in just a few meters. However, despite the typical team radio complaints directed at Race Control, there was no tension between the two friends.
After the race in Imola, they met in the mixed zone, greeted each other, and even stopped briefly to chat and explain the incident. Speaking to French media, Pierre Gasly downplayed the matter, taking responsibility for the error and admitting he had tried too hard to resist the overtake.
“I tried to push a bit too much—unfortunately, it was a fight. I wanted to leave a bit of space on the inside for him (Charles) and stay on the outside,” Pierre Gasly said after the race. “I wasn’t on the racing line and unfortunately, when I turned, the car didn’t steer at all and I went too wide. There’s nothing more to say—I tried to do too much,” he concluded at the end of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which was held at the 4.909-kilometre Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
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