Leclerc 'just wants to be alone' after latest F1 title misery

Charles Leclerc is to shut himself away for the next few days after suffering the latest gut punch to his F1 title hopes this year.

A season previously riddled with unreliability and strategic errors took another bitter twist for Leclerc who crashed out of the lead of the French Grand Prix while under no pressure.

It is the third time this year Leclerc has endured misery while leading after power unit failures cost him dear in the Spanish and Azerbaijan Grands Prix.

"I feel like I'm performing at the highest level of my career since the beginning of the season, but there's no point in performing at a high level if I do those mistakes," said a dejected Leclerc who is now 63 points adrift of Red Bull rival Max Verstappen.

"Thirty-two points lost overall - 25 here as it was likely we were going to win because we were fast - and seven in Imola because of my mistake.

"So at the end of the year we will count back and if there are 32 points missing then I know it's come from me and I know I did not deserve to win the championship.

"For the second half of the season, I know I need to get on top of things if I want to be a world champion."

Leclerc now has just a few days to gather himself before the final race ahead of F1's summer break in Hungary this weekend.

Asked as to how he will regroup prior to then, he replied: "I'm going to close myself at home and only go out when I have [to catch] the plane to go to Budapest.

"I just want to stay alone."

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