Leclerc Crashes Out at Monza
Charles Leclerc's Italian Grand Prix ended dramatically on Lap 2 after the Ferrari driver crashed heavily at Monza, moments after an intense opening-lap battle with team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Leclerc lost control exiting the Curva Alboreto, formerly known as Parabolica, sending his Ferrari across the gravel and hard into the barriers. The impact initially triggered a Safety Car before the race was red-flagged for barrier repairs.
Fortunately, Leclerc climbed out of the heavily damaged Ferrari unaided and was reported unharmed.
Ferrari's home Grand Prix had turned into heartbreak after just two laps.
Leclerc and Hamilton Go Wheel-to-Wheel
The drama began almost immediately after the lights went out.
Starting P3 and P4, Leclerc and Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel through the opening chicane. Hamilton attempted to challenge his team-mate, but was forced into the gravel at Turn 2 and dropped several positions.
Hamilton immediately complained over team radio that Leclerc had pushed him off.
Leclerc later admitted the fight had been too close, explaining that he was heavily committed to the inside and did not manage to keep the car as tight through the corner as intended.
Two Ferraris. One home race. No room to give.
Leclerc Explains What Caused the Crash
The Ferrari driver's race unravelled on the following lap.
Leclerc experienced several slides before losing the car at the final corner and hitting the barriers at high speed.
After the race, Leclerc said the car had already felt unusual when he applied the throttle on the opening lap. When he encountered a similar sensation on Lap 2, he was unable to save the Ferrari. The team is expected to analyse what happened.
That leaves an important question for Ferrari: was the accident purely a loss of control, or was there another factor behind the unusual feeling Leclerc reported?
Hamilton Left to Carry Ferrari's Home Hopes
With Leclerc out, Hamilton became Ferrari's only remaining hope of delivering a result for the Tifosi.
The seven-time World Champion recovered from his opening-lap setback to eventually finish sixth, but Ferrari was unable to challenge for a home podium.
The team-mate battle also created another issue for Ferrari to address. Team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged that the opening-lap incident was not good for the team, while Hamilton subsequently called for clearer rules governing how the Ferrari drivers race each other.
The tension could become increasingly important as the season develops.
Nightmare at Home for Ferrari.
Monza is the race Ferrari wants to win more than almost any other.
Instead, Leclerc's afternoon lasted only two laps, while Hamilton was left recovering from an opening-lap battle with his own team-mate.
For Winbox Racing, the bigger story now extends beyond Leclerc's spectacular crash. Ferrari must understand what happened to the car while also managing an increasingly competitive relationship between its two star drivers.
A fierce opening-lap battle. A massive Lap 2 crash. A home Grand Prix gone wrong.
Monza delivered a brutal afternoon for Charles Leclerc and Ferrari.
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