Charles Leclerc has spoken out about his controversial on-track incident with Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The Monegasque driver lamented how the media blew the wheel-to-wheel clash out of proportion, while similar friction between other teammates went largely unnoticed.
The incident occurred on the opening lap when Hamilton attempted to overtake Leclerc at Turn 1. Leclerc closed the door at Turn 2, sending Hamilton into the gravel. On the radio, Hamilton complained that Leclerc had pushed him off. It was the first real flashpoint between the two since being paired at Ferrari last season.
Speaking to media including Motorsport Week in Madrid, Leclerc admitted his mistake. “I obviously know I went too far in Turn 2 and I said it to Lewis. I think it’s very clear what we should do or avoid going forward. But I won’t go into more details than what we’ve said,” he stated.
“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. That is the most important for me,” Leclerc emphasized, stressing that the incident did not damage team chemistry.
Leclerc also pointed out that friction between teammates wasn’t exclusive to Ferrari. He mentioned that both McLaren and Mercedes duos had their moments during the race. “I know we are driving for Ferrari and if there’s one race where you don’t want that to happen, it’s Monza. When these things happen at our home race, it creates a huge mess outside,” he explained.
“However, looking at the race from the outside, there was also some friction between other teammates. But the only thing we end up speaking about is Lewis and I, which I don’t think is quite right. That doesn’t mean we did everything perfect; I didn’t in Turn 2. And for that, I was immediately clear with Lewis after reviewing the images,” he added.
When asked if he thought the incident was blown out of proportion, Leclerc felt the media attention was much bigger on Ferrari than other teams. “I need to be careful not to minimize the way this unfolded. As I said, it’s not acceptable to see Lewis going into the gravel. But for sure, the proportions are much bigger on our side compared to the two other teams that had some. I didn’t follow the whole race, but the two other teams fighting at the top didn’t have as much noise around it,” he concluded.
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