The older of the two Leclerc brothers found himself in a spin at Abu Dhabi, and his younger brother Arthur couldn’t resist joking about it over the team radio.
The FP1 session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended with Charles Leclerc in third place, just 16 thousandths behind Lando Norris and 8 thousandths off Max Verstappen. The Monegasque driver, however, also had a spin right under Arthur’s watchful eyes, prompting a playful team radio exchange between the siblings.
This marked the second time the Leclerc brothers have shared the track side by side, after Arthur had already participated in FP1 last year at Abu Dhabi. For the occasion, Charles wore a special helmet to celebrate an important milestone in his career while also echoing the black design of his younger brother’s helmet.
During the session, the younger Leclerc finished P16, collecting valuable data before returning the car to Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, the 1997-born Charles completed a strong qualifying simulation, finishing P3. His race pace, however, remained less certain, largely due to the spin in the final minutes, which did not go unnoticed by Arthur.
Watching the incident from the garage, Arthur commented via team radio with a touch of irony: “I think Charles is doing burnouts for the fans.” The quick-witted remark drew smiles both on the Ferrari pit wall and across social media.
Arthur’s playful commentary wasn’t the only humorous moment of the session. Earlier in FP1, the 2000-born driver was also part of a funny exchange between engineer Lambiase and Max Verstappen.
“Leclerc junior three seconds ahead of you,” said the engineer of car number 1. The Dutchman replied: “I find it funny that you call him junior.” FP1 at Abu Dhabi thus ended on a lighthearted note, offering a moment of levity before the tension of the weekend ramped up.
From special helmets to spins and savage radio burns, FP1 delivered the perfect mix of feel-good moments and early signs that the battle at the front is going to be razor-tight. If the rest of the Abu Dhabi weekend is half as entertaining, we’re in for a classic.
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