Horner accuses Leclerc of 'being greedy' after Imola spin

Paul Macdonald
Sunday 24 April 2022 17:45 - Updated: 17:54

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Charles Leclerc 'got greedy' and cost himself a podium place at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with his late spin.

Ferrari driver Leclerc was running third when he made a switch onto the soft tyres in a bid to put pressure on Red Bull and second-placed Sergio Perez.

Leclerc, though, hit a kerb hard on entry to the Variante Alta, and unable to correct his F1-75 in an effort to take the exit, he spun and hit a barrier

Although the Monégasque managed to recover and return to the pits to take on a new set of softs, he emerged in ninth place before a recovery to sixth over the closing laps, adding to the Scuderia's woes after Carlos Sainz's lap-one exit.

Assessing what happened to Leclerc, Horner said: "He [Leclerc] was pushing very hard all race.

"You could see at turn 14 at the chicane, that was the one part of the track where he was consistently quicker than Checo and it looked like he got a little bit too greedy on the soft tyre.

"Mistakes can happen, though he was actually lucky to finish the race and get sixth place. It was a bonus for us to take a few extra points. 

"Ferrari has a great car, with great drivers, they've been unlucky in this race. They're going to be super-competitive in two weeks' time [in Miami] and I think it's going to be like that all season."