Why Leclerc "backed off" from Verstappen safety car pass
Why Leclerc "backed off" from Verstappen safety car pass
Charles Leclerc has revealed the reason why he opted not to pass Max Verstappen after the Red Bull driver suffered a 'tank slapper' moment during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Prior to the restart following the red-flag period for the heavy crash between F1 rivals Valtteri Bottas and George Russell, Verstappen momentarily lost control of the rear of his Red Bull.
With Ferrari driver Leclerc following directly behind, there appeared a small window of opportunity for the Monégasque to pass and take up the lead.
McLaren's Lando Norris has claimed he would have gone for a move, but Leclerc is confident he made the right call in staying behind Verstappen. "I considered it at one point but at the same time I backed off," said Leclerc.
"I think, looking back at it, it was the right choice because I think he always had one wheel on the track so I backed off because he didn’t completely spin.
“I thought about it but it was too late and he was already back in front.”
Leclerc, who went on to finish fourth, has also revealed he drove without team radio for the 29 laps after the restart.
Asked why he lost considerable ground on eventual winner Verstappen as the race resumed, he explained: “I think there was a succession of things.
"First, I got quite surprised by his first spin but that was not the reason for the bad start after that.
“Second, I had no radio at that point. I didn’t have any radio, we had a radio problem for the whole second stint so I was also checking whether I had everything at the right place in terms of buttons."
Conceding "it wasn't a great restart from my side", Leclerc added: “But then I think the one that played the biggest part in that is that just before the actual restart he had a small snap.
"I expected him, after the snap, to just wait a bit before going again but he actually went just after and I got surprised."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 Chinese Grand Prix weather forecast - latest today from Shanghai
- 31 minutes ago
Hamilton opens up on Wolff talks over Ferrari move as Verstappen SLAMS F1 decision - GPFans F1 Recap
- Today 00:27
F1 Sprint Qualifying Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV
- Yesterday 23:27
Marko suggests 'exciting' move to REPLACE Ricciardo
- Yesterday 22:57
F1 Practice Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV
- Yesterday 22:27
2024 Sprint changes show F1 is listening to fix imperfect format
- Yesterday 21:57
Related news
Hamilton to open Wolff talks at Mercedes amid Ferrari F1 move uncertainty
Hamilton WARNED by Ferrari chief over performance levels
Brundle issues WARNING to 'under pressure' Ferrari star
F1 pundit says SHOCK team have ‘broken the back’ of rivals
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860