Charles Leclerc establishes limits with Lewis Hamilton prior to their clash at Turn 1.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will line up fourth and fifth respectively on the grid for Sunday's United States Grand Prix, but the Monegasque driver emphasizes that both understand “the boundary not to cross” as they approach Turn 1 of the Austin circuit.
Leclerc secured a better qualifying position than his teammate but acknowledged that both he and Hamilton have occasionally exceeded their limits this season.
A notable instance occurred at Monza earlier this year, where the two collided on the first lap of Ferrari's home event as Hamilton attempted a move up the inside of Turn 1. Leclerc maintained his trajectory into Turn 2, which forced his teammate off the track. Hamilton fell from fourth to tenth but later recovered to sixth, while Leclerc was forced to retire from the race just two laps in.
Hamilton expressed his discontent at the time, stating: “Here, there are no regulations. We need to discuss this.” Leclerc responded, “It’s true that we pushed the limits. I think Lewis in Turn 1, then Turn 2, I aimed for the tightest line possible, but that wasn’t sufficient - and doing so here is not advisable."
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
As both Ferraris prepare to head up the hill to Turn 1 at COTA, Leclerc reassured fans that they will avoid making any reckless moves against each other.
When asked if the team had established any guidelines for the initial dive, Leclerc was definitive about their mutual expectations.
“No, we know where the limit lies, and over the course of the year, we’ve had moments where I’ve crossed that line, Lewis has crossed it, and we want to avoid that.”
Collaboration will play a crucial role for the Scuderia duo during the grand prix.
“It’s always significant. I don’t think on a circuit like this there’s anything similar to Singapore in terms of slowing down for the entire team or anything like that, but clearly, keeping our distance from each other is beneficial no matter the circumstances.”
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