F1: Leclerc admits responsibility for Japanese GP clash with Max Verstappen

After a disappointing race for Charles Leclerc at the Suzuka circuit, the Ferrari driver admitted total responsibility for his first corner incident with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen which earned him a penalty and wrecked both their races in Japan.

Leclerc endured a slow start from second on the grid and was passed by both Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen into turn one. But with his team-mate Sebastian Vettel just ahead, he misjudged his speed into turn two which caused him to understeer and run wide into the Red Bull.

When questioned about the incident after the race, the Monegasque said:

“I had a poor start. I got a little bit distracted, I saw Seb moving a little bit [when poleman Vettel jumped forward before the lights went out] and then my reaction time was very poor.

“The start was not so bad but the reaction was very poor. And with Max I just did a mistake, clearly. I was on the inside and being behind Seb and Lewis I lost the front a little bit.

“Normally you need to anticipate those things and I didn’t. Yep, I’m the one to blame.” – Charles Leclerc

He then continued with a broken front wing until lap three, by which time, the piece of carbon fibre had dislodged itself from his Ferrari. That came as a bit of shock for Lewis Hamilton who was following Leclerc at the time as the carbon fibre took off the Mercedes’ left mirror.

Later, footage showed that Leclerc too had a damaged mirror and was trying to hold his mirror in place, driving one-handed through the infamous 130R corner.

As for Verstappen, the Dutchman said that he lost 25% of downforce following his clash with the Ferrari driver. He was forced to retire shortly afterwards in what was only his second non-finish of the season.

Leclerc was given a 15-second time penalty following the incident after the race: five seconds for the incident and ten seconds for driving in an unsafe manner. The penalty dropped him from sixth to seventh in one of his worst performances for Ferrari and certainly his worst race since his home Grand Prix in Monaco back in May.