In a race that was supposed to be a celebration in his hometown, Charles Leclerc found himself seething with anger after crashing out of the Monaco Grand Prix while vying for a podium finish. The Ferrari star’s frustration boiled over as he confronted his team, making it clear that he was not ready to shoulder the blame for the mishap.
Kimi Antonelli emerged victorious, marking his fifth consecutive win this season, while Leclerc’s hopes were dashed in a dramatic turn of events. The chaos began when Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crashed at the notorious turn 19, prompting a yellow flag on the track.
Just a few laps later, on lap 66, Leclerc, who was running in third place, faced a similar fate at the same corner, leading to a safety car and a subsequent red flag that halted the race. As the tension mounted, Leclerc expressed his disbelief over the situation, declaring on team radio, “Honestly, I’m not even going to take the f—ing blame.”
“It was brakes. I mean it doesn’t help to have asphalt coming off, but the data speaks for itself,” he stated in an interview with Sky Sports. “I’ve always been very honest… but I’m not going to take any of it today. It’s like I had no rear brakes. That’s what I’m dealing with for two races now.”
His visible anger was captured on camera as he gestured towards his team, holding up two fingers in a moment of raw emotion. “He’s absolutely furious,” commentator David Croft noted during the broadcast. “What should have been a day of celebration has ended in disappointment.”
Max Verstappen also faced his own challenges, failing to start properly and retiring on the very first lap. In total, seven drivers, including Leclerc, Stroll, and Verstappen, did not finish the race, leaving fans and teams alike questioning what could have been.
As the dust settles on this tumultuous race, one has to wonder: what will be the fallout for Leclerc and Ferrari in the upcoming races?
