Martin Brundle and David Coulthard independently identified the same possible trigger behind Charles Leclerc’s high-speed crash at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix, pointing to the green drainage area at Parabolica after studying replays of the Ferrari driver’s accident. Both former Formula 1 drivers believe a momentary loss of grip from the left-rear tyre may have destabilised the SF-26 at a point where the car was already under heavy lateral and acceleration loads.
Charles Leclerc’s accident brought an abrupt end to a frantic opening phase at Monza and caused the race to be red-flagged. It also compounded a difficult start for Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton having already fallen towards the lower end of the points-paying positions after an unsuccessful attempt to overtake his teammate.
Charles Leclerc’s Monza crash followed a hectic start
Charles Leclerc briefly moved into second place at the start of lap two, but Pierre Gasly soon reclaimed the position for Alpine. Max Verstappen then passed the Monegasque at the Ascari Chicane, leaving the Ferrari driver under further pressure as the field approached Parabolica.
Oscar Piastri was the next driver to challenge. Leclerc became involved in a fight with the McLaren at the final corner, shortly before the Ferrari suddenly lost stability and headed into the tyre barrier at high speed.
The incident ended a race in which expectations had been particularly high for the Maranello team following its work to adapt the car to the unique demands of the Temple of Speed, including the engine and floor developments assessed by Charles Leclerc ahead of the Italian GP.
Martin Brundle spots possible drainage-grille trigger
Reviewing the accident for Sky Sports F1, Martin Brundle focused on Leclerc’s positioning through the final corner. He observed that the Ferrari ran slightly wide and appeared to put its left-rear tyre onto the green area beyond the normal tarmac surface.
Brundle explained that Leclerc suffered significant wheelspin and reacted by steering into the slide, but the loss of traction ultimately carried the car off the circuit. He also noted that Oscar Piastri had moved ahead on the approach before Leclerc applied the throttle aggressively on the exit and touched the white line.
The former Formula 1 driver subsequently highlighted a particularly important detail in the replay. According to Brundle, the first section of the green area is a drain rather than conventional concrete, and he believed contact with that surface may have been enough to loosen the heavily loaded left-rear tyre.
At that point in Parabolica, the tyre was already dealing with substantial cornering load while Leclerc was simultaneously accelerating. Brundle’s assessment was that the tyre was effectively being asked to provide significant lateral and longitudinal grip at the same time, with the drainage surface potentially disrupting that delicate balance.
David Coulthard reaches same conclusion over Leclerc crash
David Coulthard arrived at a similar interpretation while analysing the accident for F1TV. He noticed that the left-rear tyre appeared to move beyond the tarmac and onto the green drainage grille immediately before the Ferrari became unstable.
Coulthard suggested that this could have produced the brief loss of grip that triggered the accident. Crucially, he observed that the SF-26 remained stable until very late in the corner. Once the rear began to slide at that speed, however, he believed there was effectively no realistic way for Leclerc to prevent the car from reaching the barrier.
The analysis highlights how a very small change in available grip can have major consequences when a Formula 1 car is loaded heavily through a high-speed corner. Readers can follow further examination of the SF-26 and its behaviour in our Ferrari technical analysis coverage.
Parabolica brings back memories of Charles Leclerc’s 2020 crash
The location of the accident was particularly familiar. Charles Leclerc also crashed out at Parabolica during the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, and the two incidents were remarkably similar. On this occasion, however, the loss of control occurred slightly later in the corner.
Monza therefore became Leclerc’s third retirement of the 2026 Formula 1 season. His previous two DNFs came after an accident in Monaco and a hydraulic failure in Barcelona.
For Ferrari, the crash turned an already difficult opening sequence into an extremely costly home Grand Prix, while the agreement between Martin Brundle and David Coulthard provided a clear technical theory for why Leclerc’s car went from apparently stable to uncontrollable so suddenly.
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