Leclerc intones the mea culpa in the midst of controversy at Ferrari: “I went too far with Hamilton”
Charles Leclerc was the cross of the coin in the past Italian GP. Well, probably all Ferrari It was disappointing at the home date. However, the Monegasque clearly had a day to forget against the ‘tifosi’ with a push to the limit that ended with his teammate Lewis Hamilton doing an excursion and with a terrible accident two laps later in the Parabolic curve in which he ended up visibly shaken.
A week after that nightmarish Sunday, the Monegasque arrived at the Spanish GP held in Madrid singing the ‘mea culpa’ with what happened to the Briton in Turn 2 at Monza and wants to turn the page as soon as possible. All this in a few days where the controversy over whether Ferrari should apply team orders to favor Hamilton in the fight for the title is the central topic of debate.
“In terms of the rules of engagement, I think it’s pretty clear that we never want to see a car from the same team end up on the grass. So yes, after reviewing the situation, we spoke to Lewis Hamilton. I am aware that I went too far in the second corner and I told Hamilton; I think it is very clear what we should do or avoid in the future. But I will not give more details about what we talked about,” he expressed in the press conference prior to the weekend in Madring.
“However, watching the race from the outside, There was also friction between other teammates, and the only thing that ends up being talked about is Lewis and me, which doesn’t seem entirely fair to me. But that doesn’t mean we’ve done everything perfectly. This was not the case for me in the second corner and, in this regard, I was very clear with Hamilton immediately after seeing the images.
Before putting on his overalls and lowering the visor of his helmet, Charles Leclerc needed the OK from the championship doctors to be able to compete at Madring. Once he receives the apt, the Monegasque wants to obtain a good result to leave the ghosts behind. The ‘Predestinato’ has the data collected in the ‘filming day’ in July at the IFEMA and Valdebebas urban circuit, so it can start with a certain advantage over the rest of the teams.
Hamilton’s version
As it could not be otherwise, Lewis Hamilton was also asked about that conversation with his teammate and the seven-time world champion was happy that things could be discussed face to face.
“It was really positive, I spoke to Fred on Monday and we had a clear and frank discussion. It’s naive to think that there won’t be other moments of tension between teammates, just look at the history of this sport, it’s already happened so it’s not a big deal. We’ve gotten to the point where internal communication is really excellent, both with me and with Charles.”
“It’s not exactly about asking them to focus on me. It is more about making sure we work in the best way to obtain the most beneficial result for the team.either. Instead of fighting among ourselves and finishing fourth and fifth, perhaps we could collaborate and get on the podium more often, winning more points,” Lewis Hamilton explained in closing when asked about team orders.
