Leclerc OUT from lead of Spanish GP

Sam Hall
Sunday 22 May 2022 15:05

Charles Leclerc has retired from the lead of the Spanish Grand Prix after dominating in the early stages.

Leclerc held a lead of over 10 seconds to George Russell and championship rival Max Verstappen when a power unit problem forced the Ferrari driver out of the Barcelona race.

On the team radio, Leclerc said simply, "Oh no, no, no" as he felt the loss in power and began his coast back to the garage.

Verstappen pitted soon after his rival's retirement in a bid to gain an undercut advantage over Russell in a battle that suddenly held race-winning stakes.

Should Verstappen claim the 25 points for the race win, he will take over the championship lead for the first time this year.

📻 #Charles16 :“It’s ok, we’ll come back stronger.”

Xavi: “For sure”. ❤️

Unfortunately we had to retire #Charles16’s car due to a technical issue. #SpanishGP

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 22, 2022