• • Charles Leclerc finished fourth in the Imola Grand Prix.
• • The Ferrari driver had the chance to lead the race after the restart.
• • Leclerc finished one position ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz.
• • You can find more car stories at Wheels24
Ferrari made a welcome return to speed at the Imola Grand Prix in Italy on Sunday. Or if we use the full name of the race: Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made in Italy E Dell’emilia Romagna. It was a good race, especially for Ferrari, as the team performed for the first time in more than a year and challenged McLaren as the next best team after Red Bull Racing and Mercedes.
The Italian team took pride in themselves after earning a strong result with both drivers finishing in the top five. Charles Leclerc finished fourth ahead of new team-mate Carlos Sainz, but you have to wonder if there was no chance he could get a position better.
When the race resumed after Valtteri Bottas and George Russell fell 300 km / h, the drivers took to the track behind the safety car. With Leclerc in second place, he was ready for a strong result, but a single verdict affected his restart and ultimately his performance as the race progressed.
Why did you stop?
When the safety car signaled that it would return to the pits, Max Verstappen, the race director, secured all the cars. He slowed down the field to have enough time for the safety car to return to the pits and the race to resume. With Leclerc on the gearbox, it was clear that the Ferrari driver had only one intention: to attack.
However, when Verstappen came through an S-bend, he lost control of his car and sped off the track. This was a perfect opportunity for Leclerc to overtake him – legally! – but the Ferrari driver chose to slow down instead and allow the Red Bull driver to regain his position at the front of the field.
The moment Verstappen slashed in front of Leclerc, he stepped on the gas so that he would never be seen again. Leclerc, surprised by Verstappen’s sudden acceleration, was put under pressure by McLaren’s Lando Norris, who overtook him and led him into Turn 1.
Does Charles Leclerc lack the “killer mentality” of an F1 champion? Email us your thoughts or use the comments section below.
A chance to fight
Had Leclerc chosen against being the gentleman he is, he could have led the race after the restart. In fairness, his Ferrari is a sitting duck against Mercedes and Red Bull – maybe even McLaren – but it would still have given him a better chance of battling for a podium spot.
Had he overtaken Verstappen at that moment, Norris could possibly have overtaken the race director at the time. It would have made Verstappen’s job of regaining the lead a little more difficult as he would have to get past Norris’ fast-charging McLaren. The argument between Norris and Verstappen could have given Leclerc some breathing space and allowed him to fill a gap in front of him. Of course, Verstappen would have gotten past Norris, and Hamilton, who fought his way back from ninth place, would have done so too.
And even if Verstappen and Hamilton overtook Leclerc to take first and second place respectively, Ferrari could have watched their star driver finish their home Grand Prix in third place.
Charles Leclerc is one of the nicest guys in F1, but maybe, just maybe, he should take a more ruthless approach when taking to the track. Similar to the Verstappens and Hamiltons of the F1 …
Max Verstappen after winning the Imola Grand Prix in 2021
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