Charles Leclerc does not believe his race-defining clash with Lewis Hamilton on the first lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix will be "much of a talking point" internally at Ferrari.
Hamilton led from pole, but when Leclerc attacked into Turn 4, the seven-time F1 drivers' champion responded by braking late.
The confluence of events left Leclerc unable to hand the position back to Hamilton without giving the Red Bull driver the lead.
Leclerc defended the decision not to give place back to Hamilton, but did acknowledge it would be a talking point on some level.
Obviously, it's going to be a bit of a talking point for sure at the next briefing."
Charles Leclerc does not believe his race-defining clash with Lewis Hamilton on the first lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix will be "much of a talking point" internally at Ferrari.
The incident between the team-mates at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez cost them a clear shot at victory, having emerged from the opening sequence of corners first and second.
Hamilton led from pole, but when Leclerc attacked into Turn 4, the seven-time F1 drivers' champion responded by braking late. Neither made the corner.
This not only culminated in a five-second time penalty for the latter, after he cut the corner and took the lead, but it also opened the door for Max Verstappen to snatch second off the former.
The confluence of events left Leclerc unable to hand the position back to Hamilton without giving the Red Bull driver the lead.
His team-mate was angered by the situation, taking to team radio to vent his frustration in no uncertain terms, highlighting the disadvantage to his race and insisting there were "big problems" to address.
Leclerc defended the decision not to give place back to Hamilton, but did acknowledge it would be a talking point on some level.
"I didn't really have clear feedback, and I think it was just confusing enough to keep the position," he told media, including RacingNews365. "I was expecting some kind of penalty...
"I spoke briefly with the team to try to understand. I asked, 'What shall I do now?'
"It's always very tricky. And obviously, in that situation, you kind of expect to... you have to do something, but is it second? Is it third? Is it fourth? Well, fourth probably didn't make sense, but second or third.
"In the end, I kept going. Obviously, it's going to be a bit of a talking point for sure at the next briefing."
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