Leclerc says scrutiny of Ferrari's internal battles is unfair
The short version
- Leclerc said scrutiny of Ferrari's intra-team battles is 'not really fair' compared to other teams
- He referenced a first-lap clash with Lewis Hamilton at Monza that ended his own race in the tire barrier
- Leclerc said he enjoys fighting Hamilton and the priority is winning as a team
- He has qualified well at Baku but never won there, and hopes to fix that this year
- The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled for Saturday, with track action starting Thursday
Charles Leclerc pushed back on criticism of Ferrari's intra-team racing ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, saying the spotlight on the Italian squad is excessive.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc said Wednesday that the attention given to his team's internal battles is excessive, arguing that other teams have similar on-track fights that go largely unnoticed. Speaking at the FIA press conference ahead of Saturday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he pointed to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where he said three of the top four teams had incidents that sent cars into the grass, yet Ferrari remained the main talking point.
The Monza race featured a first-lap clash between Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton that dropped the seven-time champion down the order. Shortly afterward, Leclerc slid off line, hit the tire barrier and retired from the race. Leclerc acknowledged his part in the Turn 2 incident should never be repeated, calling it going too far on his side.
Despite the friction, Leclerc said he enjoys racing Hamilton and that the pair discuss their on-track moments, sharing a common goal of putting Ferrari on top. He noted that everything Ferrari does gets overanalyzed and that the conclusions drawn from such fights are often wrong.
Looking ahead to Baku, Leclerc said his strong qualifying record at the circuit has not translated into race wins, something he hopes to change this year. He added that qualifying has been the car's weakest area this season and that power unit optimization varies significantly from weekend to weekend, which will matter on this track. Running begins Thursday, with the race set for Saturday.
