Charles Leclerc described Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s overtaking attempt that ended his Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix as too “aggressive”.
The Monegasque acknowledged that aggression is necessary around Zandvoort to make overtakes, but insisted the Mercedes rookie overstepped the mark on Sunday.
Starting from sixth on the grid, Leclerc gained a place at the start over the Mercedes of George Russell.
He then struggled to pass Isack Hadjar for fourth, pitting on Lap 22, only to witness his team-mate Lewis Hamilton crash at Turn 3.
With the Safety Car deployed, Leclerc rejoined in sixth behind Russell and launched an aggressive move at Turn 12 that included contact as the Ferrari barged past
Still unable to overtake Hadjar, Leclerc pitted a second time, emerging ahead of Antonelli. But disaster struck when the Italian attacked the banking at Turn 3, clipping the Ferrari and ending Leclerc’s race. Antonelli’s car was damaged as well, earning him a 10-second time penalty for the incident.
In the aftermath of the race, Leclerc acknowledged it was a mistake but felt the move from the youngster went a step too far.
“I think it’s a mistake from Kimi,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “You’ve got to be very aggressive on a track like this to overtake, which I think he tried to be aggressive.
“Maybe it was a bit too much, and he went on to touch my rear left, and that was the end of my race, so it’s disappointing.”
He added: “I wouldn’t describe it as a rookie mistake, I think it’s just a mistake which can happen [in] the first year or the fifth year. Again, as I said, on a track like this, you need to be aggressive, but that was too much.”
Leclerc reflects on intense Russell battle as stewards review contact
Earlier in the race, Leclerc had also been involved in a close battle with the other Mercedes, a clash that drew the attention of the stewards and remains under post-race review.
Speaking from the cockpit, the 27-year-old reflected on the intensity of the wheel-to-wheel battle and the split-second decisions that led to contact with Russell.
“It was aggressive, but we’re fighting for a place in the championship,” he explained. “For the Constructors, especially. For the Drivers, I don’t really care, so I’ll always be aggressive like that.
“It was on the limit, but I knew I wouldn’t have many opportunities after that. He defended the inside, I went for the outside, I don’t think he expected me to go for the outside, and then he did the corner just like if I wasn’t there, so then we touched.”
Leclerc admitted he wasn’t sure what the stewards would conclude, but accepted that post-race reviews are sometimes necessary when incidents aren’t clear-cut.
“I mean, I don’t know what the stewards are looking at or what they are expecting from the incident, so I’ll go and see them and then we’ll see,” he said. “It’s always better to have a live decision, but I understand that sometimes it’s not a clear-cut.”
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