Charles Leclerc has admitted his fault in the collision with Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton at the first corner of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The Monegasque driver revealed that he spoke directly with Hamilton to clear the air and ensure their relationship remains solid.
The incident occurred when Hamilton made an aggressive dive down the inside at Turn 1, but Leclerc pushed him onto the gravel at the exit, causing the British driver to plummet down the order. The clash became a major talking point in the paddock, especially since Monza is Ferrari's home race and intra-team incidents always attract intense scrutiny.
Ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, Leclerc explained that he reviewed the footage and acknowledged his mistake. "I know I went too far in Turn 2 and I said it to Lewis," he said. "We talked. I told Lewis how I felt, Lewis told me what he felt, and we fully agree with both of our views. We know it's not a situation we want to find ourselves in again, especially since we start so close to each other so often."
Leclerc emphasized that the incident did not damage their good relationship. "The only thing I can say is that it definitely did not affect the good relationship that we have, and it will not affect anything going forward," he added. "I know we are driving for Ferrari, and if there's one race where you don't want that to happen, it's in Monza. When these things happen at our home race, it does a huge mess outside."
Hamilton himself praised Leclerc's maturity in handling the situation. "What's great is that there was no shying away from having a discussion," said the seven-time world champion. "We sat face to face, just him and me, and talked about it. We were both open and honest, and we squashed it, and we can move on. That shows maturity from him, and I think it's healthiest."
The British driver also stressed that their relationship has been built over time and that friction on track is natural. "There's going to be frustrations, and there's going to be times where we're here. There will, I'm sure, be more times we are close because we're racing hard," he said. "But what matters is how we handle it."
The Monza incident was the peak of Ferrari's internal rivalry, which has intensified as both drivers perform competitively. However, Leclerc pointed out that the media focus was only on him and Hamilton, while friction between other teammates also occurred. "Looking at the race from outside, there's been also some friction between other teammates, and the only thing we end up speaking of is Lewis and I, which I don't think it's quite right," he said.
With this clarification, both drivers hope to focus on the Spanish Grand Prix and the rest of the season. A harmonious relationship is key for Ferrari in their pursuit of the world championship, and the Monza incident serves as a valuable lesson that open communication is a vital foundation for teamwork.
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