Charles Leclerc had the pace to fight for a podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix, but his race did not last long after getting caught up in early contact.
Leclerc started well from P3, while Lewis Hamilton had work to do from 13th after going out in Q2. Ferrari were hoping Leclerc could deliver a strong result, but the race quickly turned against them.
The Briton dropped to the back after a first-corner collision with Carlos Sainz and then broke his front wing in a clash with Franco Colapinto on the straight. The safety car was called out for Gabriel Bortoleto’s crash into the barriers, and when racing resumed, Leclerc found himself three-wide into turn one.
The Monegasque was on the outside of Kimi Antonelli when Oscar Piastri went for an ambitious move down the inside. Antonelli closed off the space, and contact between them pushed him across into Leclerc’s path.
Charles Leclerc does not pin all blame on Piastri after early exit from Brazilian Grand Prix
The 27-year-old suffered a shredded front left tyre and suspension damage in the crash, forcing him to retire. Piastri received a 10-second penalty but still managed to finish fifth, while Hamilton retired on lap 40, leaving Ferrari without a single point.
Despite Piastri’s penalty, Leclerc did not think the fault rested solely with the McLaren driver. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race (09/11, 7:18 pm), he suggested Kimi Antonelli also played a part in how things unfolded.
“Oscar was optimistic, but Kimi knew that Oscar was on the inside, I think. And he kind of did the corner like Oscar was never there.
“For me, the blame is not all on Oscar. Yes, it was optimistic, but this could have been avoided. I’m frustrated.
“At the end of the day, I’m not angry with any of Oscar or Kimi these things happen. But I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it’s all Oscars’ fault. I don’t think it is,” Leclerc stated.
Ferrari fall to fourth in the constructors’ standings after Brazil
Ferrari’s hopes of securing second place in the constructors’ championship took a hit with their double DNF. They have dropped to fourth, overtaken by Red Bull.
Mercedes, meanwhile, had a strong showing in Sao Paulo. Antonelli bounced back from his early collision to finish second, while Russell crossed the line in fourth. The Italian star also managed to hold off Verstappen late on, adding 18 valuable points for Mercedes.
The results leave Mercedes 32 points ahead of Red Bull, with Verstappen’s third-place finish moving them four points ahead of Ferrari. After a tough weekend, Ferrari will need to regroup quickly with just three races left in the season.
Leclerc was unhappy with a downshift issue that affected him during Sprint qualifying, and generally struggled for pace throughout the weekend. With time running out, Ferrari face an uphill battle to catch both Red Bull and Mercedes.
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