Leclerc believes he overreacted to the radio in Singapore

Reconsider things, rewatch the film. With a cool head, once the adrenaline has subsided. Since its beginnings in F1 last year Sauber, we often praised the Olympian calm of Charles Leclerc. However, last Sunday, after his teammate Sebastian Vettel took advantage of an early pit stop to take control of the race and win, the young stallion of Maranello rushed into the stretchers. 

« It is not fair », Thundered Leclerc on the radio, while his sports director Laurent Mekies tried in vain to appease his anger. The winner of Spa and Monza, well on his way to making it three in the city-state after taking pole position, also demanded explanations from the team. Four days later, Leclerc gave a much more measured speech and expressed contrition. 

« I think my reaction was disproportionate and shows that I still have a lot to learn, said the 21-year-old from Sochi. I had no need to behave like this. The team made the right decision. We took a double, which would not have been the case with another strategy. That's what matters most. I must learn from this situation and ensure that it does not happen agains ". 

Leclerc added that he would try to better control his emotions in the future even if it can prove complicated in the heat of the moment,

« In the car, it's always very complicated; there is a lot of adrenaline, he continued. I wake up in the morning thinking about winning, I go to bed at night thinking about winning, so it's difficult sometimes. I have to control myself and… how to put it politely… learn to shut up! »

We just hope that this new approach will not have the effect of softening Leclerc on the track. After all, we often have the feeling that a driver's virulence on the airwaves is accompanied by a certain panache on the track. Who heard Valtteri Bottas complain after Mercedes asked him to ride three seconds slower to protect his teammate and championship rival Lewis Hamilton in Singapore? Not us.