F1 News: Charles Leclerc makes big admission after Lewis Hamilton peace talks

Charles Leclerc

F1 star Charles Leclerc makes big admission after Lewis Hamilton peace talks

Leclerc took the blame for Monza confrontation

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Saturday 12 September 2026 09:15

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Charles Leclerc has accepted full responsibility for that high-profile skirmish with Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the F1 Italian Grand Prix last weekend.

The Scuderia superstars clashed on Lap 1 at Monza with Hamilton being pushed onto the gravel and losing several places in the process. Leclerc's race would end soon after with a massive crash on Lap 2 at the Parabolica.

The aftermath at the 'Temple of Speed' was predictably acrimonious as Ferrari surveyed the ashes of a miserable weekend at their home race.

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Hamilton was critical again of team strategy and the lack of rules of engagement for him and Leclerc. He also put the blame squarely on his Monegasque team-mate for that Lap 1 clash.

Leclerc spoke about the fallout in the countdown to this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit in Madrid. He admitted he was to blame for that Hamilton clash, and revealed the pair had later held peace talks with Ferrari brass including company chairman John Elkann.

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Leclerc reveals Ferrari peace talks

"What was very important was to speak first of all," the 28-year-old began.

"It's been quite a few years now that I've been in Ferrari and I know how it feels when everything on Ferrari is kind of on fire and if you don't speak between Lewis and I, you can get caught with this noise around the team.

"It's not that there's no reason for that noise but the intensity of the noise is a bit too crazy. When you look at Monza, there has been friction between other team-mates and we barely talk about it but when it's about Ferrari, it takes proportion that is not normal.

"We spoke with Lewis. We've always had a great relationship. I have a lot of respect for Lewis. I told him, in Turn 2, I didn't behave the way I should have and the way a team-mate should.

"It happens when you are super motivated, Lewis is super motivated and I'm super motivated and we all try to do our best. Sometimes you go too far, which I did, and we will retune that in order for it to not happen again in the future."

Leclerc accepted the blame for Hamilton incident.

Hamilton praises Leclerc 'maturity'

Hamilton himself sang from a similar hymn sheet as he revealed: "I think what's great is that there was no shying away from having a discussion. We sat face to face, just him and I, and talked about it and we were just both open and honest and we squashed it and we can move on," he said.

"I think that shows the maturity from him and I think it's healthy. It's a relationship we have built over time. Of course, there's going to be frustrations and I'm sure there'll be more times where we're close because we're very close in pace. We both want to win just as much as each other and we both want to do well for the team as well."

Leclerc fit to race at Madring after Monza crash

Leclerc has been passed fit to begin the race weekend for Ferrari at Madring today (Friday September 11) but will be monitored for any lingering impact from that massive crash which ended his race at Monza.

He said: "I will be 100-per-cent fine. It was only right after the crash that was just a little bit strange and felt a little bit dizzy, but very quickly from Monday afternoon I felt better," he said.

"I had quite a few treatments for the neck because that's that's where most of the shock went and I'm feeling good now, so I'm ready for this weekend."