Charles Leclerc defends ‘full attack’ Max Verstappen move as stewards give verdict

Charles Leclerc said it was Max Verstappen who tried to “squeeze” him in a late incident during the Spanish Grand Prix.

Following the Safety Car restart, the two drivers touched as Leclerc moved past with both making a trip to the stewards.

Charles Leclerc gives verdict after Max Verstappen Spanish GP clash

Having been a distant P4, Leclerc was suddenly in contention for a podium when a Safety Car prompted Red Bull to pit Verstappen for hards, the only tyre he had left.

Ferrari too brought their driver in but crucially, Leclerc had soft rubber used for just one quali lap, giving him an advantage for when racing would get back underway.

Having already voiced his frustration over the radio, Verstappen had a big snap in Turn 14 as the race restarted, doing well to keep his car on track, but it opened the door for Leclerc who was soon alongside the Dutchman.

As he passed, the pair made contact with Verstappen insisting Leclerc had “rammed” into him but the Ferrari driver suggested it was Verstappen who moved over.

“I probably would have been very vocal if it was the other way around,” he said. “Because you are fighting for the third place so [he was] just trying everything to get that third place back.

“And I think he knew that on track it would be very difficult with the tyres he was on.

“Honestly, I don’t have any particular feeling about it. There was nothing special. I overtook on the inside. He tried to squeeze me on the dirty side of the track. Then I had the upper hand because I had more speed because of the mistake he had done.

“And then I was trying to take the slipstream of the McLaren, went a tiny bit to the left, he didn’t seem to want to move at all.

“We touched a little bit, but there was nothing.”

Leclerc’s podium was under threat as the stewards wanted to hear both sides of the argument but the Ferrari driver was ultimately cleared with neither wholly to blame.

On the pass, Leclerc said he knew he had a chance when he learned Verstappen was on the hard.

More reaction from the race in Barcelona

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“From the moment when I knew that Max was on a hard tyre, I was like ‘okay, that’s that’s not a great tyre to be on for the last five laps’ especially if there’s no [battery] saving or whatsoever,” the Monegasque said.

“So I knew that it was a full attack for me and that there was an opportunity to finish on the podium.

“Max went with a lot of commitment in the last corner, lost the rear in the exit, and then I was basically side-by-side, and I was very happy to take the third place.”

The result was Leclerc’s second consecutive podium, a feat he has not achieved since F1 2024.

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