Charles Leclerc made the first big mistake of the year at Imola. With a podium virtually guaranteed, Leclerc tried to get to Sergio Pérez who was in second place, but a mistake in the High Variant of Imola threw the Monegasque against the protections of the track, almost ruining his race. He managed to regain up to sixth place, minimizing losses. But it was a warning for Leclerc, as Mika Hakkinen said:
“Finishing sixth was a good comeback. Charles still has a big lead in the world championship, but this mistake is a warning that you can’t win every race. Sometimes settling for second or third place is the right strategy. In mixed conditions you have to be very careful because if you push too hard the car can bite very quickly. Charles admitted that he was pushing the pace and I can understand that he was trying to put maximum pressure on the Czech for second place. He was very lucky to be able to return to the pits and put a new nose on the car. He could easily have been forced to leave.”
