Charles Leclerc described the 2022 Monaco GP as “a freaking disaster” when he spoke to the media, but his words were not as calm when this team instructed him to pit, then asked him not to, while he was just before the last corner from the pits. Someone leaked his helmet video, complete with the radio recording.
As you may be aware, Charles Leclerc managed to complete the 2022 Monaco GP, which is a first for him in any competition, but he is not happy with the result. The Monégasque racer started in pole position, which meant that he had dibs at getting a win at his home race. You already know that it did not happen, but the way it ended was not ideal.
Well, the description found above is an understatement, especially if you take a listen to Leclerc's leaked radio conversation with his team, along with the in-car camera during the pit stop that lost him the race. Before judging the Monégasque racer for his words (profanity involved – viewer discretion is advised), you should be aware of what was at stake for Charles at the time.
The incident took place on Lap 18, when Leclerc was in the lead, and his teammate, Carlos Sainz, was behind him, as F1 notes. It looked like things were finally going to be as Charles had dreamed since he was just a little boy, watching the big race held in his country.
Moreover, Leclerc was racing for Ferrari, started the race in pole position, and it was his home race. Apart from the last race of the season, it does not get more important than this.
Before you try to change our mind about the latter in the comments section, look back at your younger self and say you have never dreamt of racing for Ferrari in Formula 1.
The Italian team decided to bring Sainz in for a set of hard tires for dry conditions, while Leclerc was called as well to replace his wet tires with new ones. So far, so good, right? Well, wrong, as Charles was asked to stay out of the pits, but it was too late for that.
Somebody did not take things into account, and the Monégasque driver had to wait in the pit lane for a moment as his teammate was getting a fresh set of tires installed. Yes, the team double-stacked its racers in the pit stop.
Leclerc lost an estimated two to four seconds because of the mishap, which led him to finish in fourth place. The racer managed to regain his calm after the whole thing and said the following: "No words – the season is long, but we cannot do that."
After the race, Leclerc told media representatives that "It was a freaking disaster," and noted that the "win was clearly in their hands," while underlining that he "needs explanations for now, and just does not understand the call."
Editor's note:
Warning - the audio recording contains strong language.
For illustration purposes, the photo gallery shows images of Charles Leclerc in racing gear, as well his racecar, just not in the 2022 Monaco GP.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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