The race in Melbourne was the second this season in which Charles Leclerc failed to finish. Monegask retired from the race on the first lap when Lance Stroll crashed into him. The Ferrari driver called the start of the 2023 season the worst of his career.
“Of course I am very upset,” Charles Leclerc told reporters in Melbourne. “This is my worst start of the season. I only have six or eight points – I don’t remember how many. All this is disturbing.
At the start in the first corner I didn’t want to take any risks and acted cautiously. In Turn 3 I wasn’t planning to overtake either, but Lance was braking a lot because of Fernando, who was slowing down because of the cars in front of him. I saw a clear part of the track outside and went there.
Unfortunately, Fernando had to accelerate even more under braking and Lance got between him and me, after which contact was made. Of course I don’t blame Lance, and I consider what happened to be a racing incident. But this race result is very frustrating, because I go home with no points earned.
At the moment I am not setting any long-term goals. For me it is more important to finish the race without penalty points or technical problems. Then we look at what results are possible.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
