Right after the lights out at the Australian GP, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed out in the first lap after colliding with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. The race in the down under started with a safety car as the Ferrari driver’s car need to be recovered from the gravel pit.
Despite the disappointing performance so far in the season, Leclerc was not angry but instead described his collision as a racing incident. Furthermore, he took the blame for the crash rather than calling out Stroll.
After returning to the paddock, the 25-year-old revealed that he took a look at the onboards and said that he is not frustrated. “I knew it was a long race. In T1 I was careful, in T3 there was space on the outside when we braked.”
Leclerc explained that unfortunately, Alonso[Fernando] had to brake and this brought Stroll[Lance] to be between Leclerc and the Spaniard. “I took the first corner very carefully, but Stroll came out wrong and couldn’t continue to the right. So I think it’s a racing incident. It’s not lance’s fault, it’s a racing incident.”
🆑: “i’ve seen the onboards. no frustration, i knew it was a long race. in t1 i was careful, in t3 there was space on the outside when we braked. unfortunately ALO had to brake and this brought STRO to be between me and him.
it’s not lance’s fault, it’s a racing incident.” pic.twitter.com/zrcapDImjw
— leclerc data (@leclercdata) April 2, 2023
“2023 is the worst season” – Charles Leclerc
After 3 races of the 2023 season and only 6 points in his bag, Leclerc has labeled the 2023 season as his worst ever. The only time the Monegasque driver finished a race was at P7 in the Saudi Arabian GP.
Even in that race, Leclerc was limited right from the beginning because he started at P12. He took a 10-place grid penalty for changing engine components after the DNF in Bahrain.
Speaking to the Race after the Australia disappointment, Leclerc said that it is obviously frustrating. “It is the worst-ever start of the season.”
Leclerc does not have long-term targets in mind
In the 2022 season, Leclerc got a little close to winning the championship title early in the season. But soon the errors and reliability issues of the car dropped him in the standings.
Leclerc finished P2 in the championship standings with high hopes for the 2023 season. Although the way the Ferrari has begun the current campaign, it does not seem very hopeful for Monegasque’s dreams.
After his collision in the Australian GP, The Race asked him how his mindset has changed. To which, Leclerc said that he just wants a trouble-free race now.
He further said that for now instead of thinking of long-term targets the priority is to just finish the races without penalties or issues and gain some momentum.
