F1 News

Leclerc avoids Monaco grid penalty!

Leclerc avoids Monaco grid penalty!

25-05-2019 13:04

Charles Leclerc has avoided a grid penalty for the Monaco Grand Prix, but has received a reprimand from the stewards.

Leclerc was thought to have been going too fast under the safety car after his team mate Sebastian Vettel hit the wall and was potentially facing a three place grid drop for his home race.

The stewards said: “The driver clearly and appropriately braked before turn 1 in reaction to the incident at the corner.

“The VSC appeared when the driver was between turn 1 and turn 2. The driver did slow significantly, however he remained below the minimum time set by the FIA ECU until past turn 8.

“The Stewards recognised that the driver was considerably slower than a normal lap throughout the sequence. However, as the VSC is imposed for safety reasons, the Stewards determined that the breach needed to be recognized. The Stewards therefore impose a Reprimand, which is consistent with similar cases during practice sessions.”

Leclerc topped the timesheets in FP3, ahead of both Mercedes drivers.