Driving at over 190 mph, F1 drivers are inch-perfect in their skills, making even the most difficult of maneuvers seem like child’s play. Given the same, the expectations from them are extremely high of being good drivers on the road as well. But a momentary lapse in concentration from Charles Leclerc on the streets of Monaco has people thinking otherwise.
Following an iconic race win in Monza, the Monegasque driver has been spending his time at home, where he recently took his Ferrari Purosangue out for a spin. The 26-year-old ended in a fender bender on a bend, where he was the guilty party.
Over the years, Leclerc has made a name for himself as one of the best overtakers in F1. Judging the smallest of gaps to perfection has become an everyday task for the Ferrari driver, but his latest incident has made him seem human as well.
he https://t.co/qlKOGibbMu pic.twitter.com/vMqTONS2jm
— bia (@LNFOURS) September 5, 2024
One of Leclerc’s best overtakes came at the inaugural Las Vegas GP, where he went past Sergio Perez. Running in P2, the Mexican held a significant lead in the closing stages of the race with Red Bull all but certain of a 1-2 finish.
However, a late lunge by Leclerc meant he would move ahead of Perez in the final few corners of the race, making for an exhilarating finish. The overtake became so famous that it ended up winning the ‘Overtake of the Year’ award in 2023.
A year earlier in Austria, the Monegasque driver displayed another overtaking masterclass. He went ahead of Max Verstappen on three occasions, completing a hat trick before going on to win the race. However, his latest incident has fans questioning how he ended up in a fender bender.
Fans question Leclerc’s abilities
An X user uploaded the video of Leclerc’s ‘inchident’ on their timeline, and the video soon went viral. Fans quickly started wondering how the Monegasque driver was “this bad” at driving in normal life while being so good at driving at high speed.
NOT CHARLES HITTING ANOTHER CAR pic.twitter.com/0s3AcgTn9i
— clara (@leclercsletters) September 6, 2024
How does he do this again ? He’s a Driver for a living
— R. (@ranya_s30) September 6, 2024
How is he THIS BAD at normal driving yet he’s one of the best at driving fast…
— 友 (@Radityo_utomo) September 6, 2024
Bro is F1 driver then had a traffic inchident in 5 km/h
— Dhika #GrazieVale (@dk_Noobmaster46) September 6, 2024
Leclerc’s latest antic has only made him more human for the F1 fans. Seeing a professional driver make such a routine mistake instilled confidence in them that even the best are not perfect all the time. While Leclerc made such a mistake on the streets of Monaco, he would be hoping that the same thing does not happen out on the tracks.