Leclerc not frustrated by decision to hold him back in Melbourne

Charles Leclerc has again expressed his disappointment over his fifth-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix but is aware of the reasoning behind the team’s decision to hold him back when his teammate, Sebastian Vettel Struggled.

The Monegasque came fifth at Albert Park but was denied fourth place through team orders as the Ferrari team ordered he drop off to allow Vettel fourth place. Both Ferrari’s struggled for pace, emphasised by Max Verstappen’s tight overtake of Vettel which allowed him to take the final podium.

At the Bahrain Grand Prix press conference Leclerc expressed his disappointment with the mistakes he made throughout the weekend.

“Both in qualifying and in the race I made mistakes,” he said.

“In Q3 I was not able to put together a good lap in the two runs available, while in the first stint of the race I committed a long, which had no consequences, but which could have had and on the occasion I was lucky.”

Leclerc also admitted there was no frustration when he was denied the overtake of his teammate adding: “The team had nothing to gain if I had finished fourth instead of Sebastian, at the limit he could lose points, but not win more than 22.

"No frustration, I understand the decision.”