Like Max Verstappen in Singapore last month, Charles Leclerc swore during the press conference following the Mexican Grand Prix – before immediately realising what he had done
Like Max Verstappen in Singapore last month, Charles Leclerc swore during the press conference following the Mexican Grand Prix – before immediately realising what he had done Like Max Verstappen in Singapore last month, Charles Leclerc swore during the press conference following the Mexican Grand Prix – before immediately realising what he had done
Charles Leclerc risked being forced to do some community service with Max Verstappen after dropping an F-bomb following Ferrari’s Mexican Grand Prix victory.
Team-mate Carlos Sainz won the race while Lando Norris denied Ferrari a second one-two in as many Sundays. But Leclerc still came home third and had enough space behind him late on to stop on the penultimate lap for fresh tyres so he could secure an extra point for recording the fastest lap.
But he almost missed out on the chance as he suffered a scary wobble on the exit of the final corner late in the race. The snap saw the Ferrari move perilously close to the barrier at high speed, but Leclerc was able to regain control in time to avoid crashing.
And it was when he described that moment from his perspective inside the cockpit that he let his bad language slip out. He recounted: “I do not know which face I did but it had to be a pretty stressful one.
“When I lost it… I knew I had to do everything perfect. Lando was so quick at that time. I was trying to do everything possible for him to overheat [his tyres] behind me, and keep him as long as possible behind me.
“So I tried to have the best exit possible. I could see that he was very close out of that corner, but I lost the rear, and then you forget about Lando and you just hope you are going to take it back. I had one oversteer, and then when I recovered from that oversteer, I had an oversteer from the other side, and then I was like, ‘F***!'”
Several journalists in the room gasped as the expletive slipped out. Swearing has been a huge topic in F1 in recent weeks since Verstappen was punished by the FIA for also dropping an F-bomb in a press conference, while the governing body’s president Mohammed ben Sulayem has personally called for drivers to mind their language.
Ferrari secured another double podium finish in Mexico City
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When he realised what he had said, Leclerc laughed and quickly added: “Sorry! Oh no, oh no. I do not want to join Max.” He then went on to finish his earlier answer: “Then, I was just hoping to bring the car to the finish line and get that third place.”
The FIA has not yet indicated whether Leclerc will be punished for his slip of the tongue. But following the conclusion of the press conference, he was spoken to by an official from the organisation in which the Ferrari driver again apologised.
Given Verstappen was handed a community service-style punishment for his own use of the word in a press conference, it seems likely the FIA will have to give Leclerc a similar penalty. Though it could be taken into account that the Monegasque was apologetic for what he said, while Verstappen reacted to his punishment by refusing to properly answer questions in press conferences that followed.
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Mirror – Sport
