Ross Brawn claims the Monaco Grand Prix was the first time Charles Leclerc showed a mental weakness.
The hometown favourite was furious with Ferrari after being eliminated in Q1 during qualifying, leaving him a lowly 15th on the grid.
Rather than be conservative, the 21-year-old would try to correct the situation with ambitious overtakes, but it would backfire in a collision with Nico Hulkenberg at Rascasse.
“Leclerc for a handful of laps, he was truly spectacular. Then Charles went too far and paid a high price for his impetuousness,” Brawn, Formula 1’s motorsport director said in his post-race debrief.
“His reaction was understandable, however. It’s his home race and his first attempt at it with a front-running team. It was supposed to be a special moment but it ended only in disappointment.”
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Leclerc himself would deny his move was particularly ambitious and believes it was just unfortunate that contact ensued.
“I just said I think it was a racing incident,” he commented.
“I don’t think he [Hulkenberg] left much space but then I clipped the rear on the wall and I think we touched a little bit, that’s it.
“It was very difficult.”
A resulting puncture would then cause floor damage which eventually led to his fourth retirement in four races in all series in Monaco.
“I think the engineers didn’t see it because it was on the right side and they were looking at the left side,” Leclerc added.
“The left side was actually not that damaged but the right side was just completed gone.
“Of course I never give up, but this time it was just not realistic to still go because we lost like I think 75 points [of downforce].
“To normal people that’s maybe not a number they hear often but it’s like 80% of downforce we have on the car, so it was just undriveable.”
