Leclerc explains costly final-lap incident that ended Miami podium hopes

The Scuderia Ferrari driver, who appeared well in contention for a podium finish at the Florida race, witnessed his potential top-three finish disappear into thin air after he hit the barriers without making contact with any driver. The Monegasque hit the barriers at Turn 17 on the final lap amid his battle with Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc’s crash not only spelt an end to his podium pursuit, but it also paved the way for both George Russell and Max Verstappen to get past him. Reacting to the cause of the incident, the 28-year-old placed the blame solely on himself, admitting he was deeply disappointed by the costly error.

“I mean, the damage was significant. To tell you exactly what the damage was, I’m not so sure. I’m pretty sure there was a puncture; there was probably some suspension damage as well, as I couldn’t really turn to the right anymore. So yeah, I mean, I’m very disappointed with myself. It’s all on me, and it’s a mistake,” he told GPblog in Miami.

Leclerc admitted he still needs to review the incident in detail to fully understand what went wrong, particularly in relation to energy deployment on the final lap. However, he was clear that there were no excuses for the error.

“I obviously need to look at it because, with these cars, you always have a bit of a question mark over how much it deploys, and considering it was the last lap, maybe there was a bit more out of that corner, as you just need to finish the lap with that amount of energy. But that’s not an excuse in any way. It’s all on me, and it’s not acceptable. I need to look at that,” he concluded.

The last-lap skid into the barriers, which Leclerc experienced, has since placed him in the crosshairs of the stewards, with the Ferrari star now under multiple investigations.

Leclerc and Verstappen lead the list of drivers awaiting decisions from the stewards following the Miami Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver is currently being investigated for three incidents, all stemming from his final-lap crash.

The 28-year-old has been noted for driving in an unsafe condition, causing a collision in his fight with Russell, and leaving the track multiple times while potentially gaining an advantage.

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