Charles Leclerc insists he didn’t make the mistake at Imola because he cracked under too much pressure
Even Ayrton Senna knew, in a watch manufacturer’s advert, “Don’t crack under pressure.” But is that exactly what happened to Charles Leclerc at the Imola Formula One race last weekend? Did the pressure of Ferrari’s home race and the clear lead of world championship rival Max Verstappen become too much for the Ferrari driver?
Because in an attempt to gain at least one more position against his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, Leclerc made a costly mistake: In the Alta variant, the Monegasque drove too hard over the kerb and spun. Although he was able to continue, he ended up in sixth place instead of third.
In the end, this could have been decisive points lost in the world championship battle, but it had nothing to do with pressure, as Leclerc emphasised: “No, it didn’t. At least I don’t think so. At least that’s what I think,” he says. After all, he had not only had pressure on Sunday, but all weekend long. “And I don’t think I made many mistakes beforehand. “
For him, it was simply just that: a mistake. “I just saw an opportunity that wasn’t there before,” he says. “I pushed a bit more and it was too much,” says Leclerc, who stresses he wants to learn from the incident. “But from my side there was no extra pressure or anything. “
Team boss Mattia Binotto agrees. While the Italian says Ferrari faced “high expectations” at Imola, he doesn’t see any extra pressure from his drivers in the car. “When they drive, they are there and they give their best,” he insists.
“He knows he’s leading the championship, but he’s been very quiet on the radio since the start,” Binotto reveals. “The way he managed it, he didn’t feel any extra pressure. From there, I think it was just a mistake. It can happen and I’m pretty sure he’s aware of that. And that’s good enough for me. “
Leclerc himself admits that the mental approach was responsible for the mistake in that case – but just because he just wanted to get the position and pushed too much. “I’ve always been very good at knowing exactly what my feeling was at that point in the race and how to correct it,” he says.
“Yes, it was a mistake and I won’t make it again,” he announces. “I was lucky that I only lost seven points. But those seven points could be valuable at the end of the season. When you’re fighting for the title, every point counts. “
