Charles Leclerc quizzed on his future after ‘very frustrating’ Dutch GP

Michelle Foster
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz speaking, neither happy. Miami May 2023

Charles Leclerc refused to entertain questions about his future after an error-strewn Dutch Grand Prix weekend ended with his retirement.

Leclerc had a nightmare weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix as he struggled to keep his SF-21 on the track in the wet before crashing in qualifying.

后悔一个汽车驾驶”“非常困难,Monegasque driver had hoped for better in the race but it was not to be with lap 1 contact with Oscar Piastri sheering away not only part of his floor but also his downforce.

Charles Leclerc: That’s not the question now

Leclerc’s efforts to recover weren’t helped by a botched pit stop in which the driver pulled into the pits only to findhis mechanics weren’t yet ready with new tyres.

He eventually retired on lap 41 after being overtaken by AlphaTauri debutant Liam Lawson.

Leclerc’s DNF came just days after the 25-year-old not only denied rumours he’d signed a bumper deal to stay on at Ferrari until 2026, but he also revealed there have been “no discussions whatsoever“.

He was again asked about his future and a ‘possible team change’ after the race, the driver tellingSky Deutschland: “That’s not the question now.

“We have to concentrate and improve as a team and then we’ll see. As I’ve always said, I love Ferrari and my main goal is to work with the team to win the World Championship and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.”

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Charles Leclerc ‘wouldn’t say’ his Ferrari is fragile

Leclerc retired as a result of floor damage from the Piastri collision, which while it appeared minor, had a “huge” impact on the Ferrari driver’s downforce levels.

“It’s a very frustrating day. After the first lap, I already had too much damage to the car, it was really just about surviving. Then it got worse and worse and that’s it,” he said.

Revealing it was only “small contact” with Piastri, Leclerc was asked whether his Ferrari was fragile given that minor contact had such a huge negative effect on the car.

He replied: “I wouldn’t say that, I don’t know what exactly happened. I didn’t see where we hit, but it was a very important part of the car.”

Leclerc is down to sixth place in theDrivers’ Championshiphaving lost a position to Carlos Sainz, who was fifth at Zandvoort.

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