Leclerc: “a first Monaco Grand Prix forever etched in my memory, despite the retirement”
The Monegasque did not finish his first home race as a Formula 1 driver due to a brake disc failure, which led to a collision with Brendon Hartley's Toro Rosso. But Charles Leclerc sees the glass half full!
Calm returned near the Sauber motorhome a few moments after the conclusion of the Monaco Grand Prix. A tranquility amplified by the retirement of the star of the moment, Charles Leclerc. 24 hours after making it to Q2, the local driver’s race was not successful this time… and yielded no points.
Starting 14th on the grid, the driver marked with number 16 resisted Verstappen’s Red Bull. He then went to the pits on lap 15. Equipped with super-soft tires, the 20-year-old driver then hit a snag: Brendon Hartley, who got ahead of him thanks to a better-timed pit stop on lap 13. For 55 laps, the 2017 F2 champion never managed to find an opening. Worse, his car suffered, caught in the slipstream of the Toro Rosso. His front-left brake disc gave out on lap 70, exiting the Tunnel. Charles Leclerc collided with the rear of his rival, in a spectacular crash, but without injury.
???? A dramatic end to @Charles_Leclerc‘s maiden race on home soil #MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/dnKKZsgvbx
— Formula 1 (@F1) 27 mai 2018
The left front brake disc exploded, summarizes the Ferrari Driver Academy driver on our microphone. I feel a bit bad for Brendon but I couldn’t avoid it.
« I felt the problem three or four laps before. The pedal was getting longer and longer. I adjusted the balance to the rear to compensate, but we realized the problem too late. »
The retirement of Charles Leclerc was not even enough for the happiness of his teammate Marcus Ericsson, who finished eleventh just outside the points.
« Disappointed, of course. We had the potential to secure another good result. I was fast, unfortunately Toro Rosso played the team strategy with Hartley holding me up to prevent me from attacking Gasly afterwards.
« Points were possible. Toro Rosso played the team’s game: but we would have done the same in their place! »
Not superstitious either, Charles Leclerc might still wonder if a black cat is lurking near his garages in Monaco. Last year, he also abandoned both Formula 2 races. But the hopeful driver wants mainly to see the positive in such a home weekend. « I was comfortable, I had found the right set-up on the car. Yet, our package is not made for Monaco. »
This was my first home Formula 1 Grand Prix: this weekend will forever be etched in my memory. I tried to focus as much as possible. Mentally, I had to set boundaries for myself. I knew a lot of people here. I had to prepare myself as if it were any other Grand Prix weekend.
The appointment is set in Montreal to check the improvements of the Sauber team. We are progressing race after race. And the upcoming tracks will suit us better. concluded the man who caught attention over the last five days.
From our special correspondent in Monaco
