Leclerc backs down: "The stewards had no other choice"

Charles Leclerc starts the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a three-place grid penalty because he hit Sergio Perez in the Sakhir Grand Prix. Because of this Max Verstappen also retired. Leclerc indicates that he fully understands the stewards' decision.

Leclerc started from fourth place in Sakhir and after turn three came into battle with Valtteri Bottas and Perez. The Monegasque didn't expect Perez to turn in like that and that's why he outbraked himself. The Mexican spun, Leclerc's front suspension broke off and Verstappen tried to avoid the two drivers, but without success. The Dutchman's race ended in the tyre wall.

After the race, Leclerc initially felt that he had not done much wrong, but he came back to that at the FIA press conference in Abu Dhabi. "The stewards had no other choice. I had to be punished," says the Ferrari driver according to Motorsport-Total.com.

Despite the penalty, Leclerc remains confident of a good start on the Yas Marina Circuit. "Now I've got the penalty for this race", he continues. Leclerc knows that things didn't always go well for him in the opening lap of a race: "Sometimes I didn't succeed, like in Austria at the beginning of the year. But with my way, I also scored a lot of points. This time it didn't do us any good. I have to better decide who to fight - overtaking Max would be useless as they are faster than us anyway."