FIA issue Charles Leclerc penalty verdict after late Alex Albon tangle
Charles Leclerc has been spared any further punishment by the FIA after he tangled with Alex Albon late on in Imola.
As the laps ticked down, Leclerc and Albon battled for fourth spot but the Williams driver ended up going through the gravel in Turn 2.
Charles Leclerc cleared of Alex Albon infringement
Leclerc had already been feeling the frustration after the timing of a VSC cost him but he was angered even further when he was instructed to hand the spot back to Albon.
The Williams driver had the benefit of DRS advantage to get close to Leclerc before attempting to go round the outside of Tamburello, only to bail out and into the gravel ahead of Turn 3.
The move allowed not just Leclerc to move clear but Lewis Hamilton also got round to push Albon down to sixth.
Race control quickly announced it was under investigation but Ferrari opted to inform Leclerc to give the spot back and avoid any further penalty.
In their official verdict, the stewards deemed that Ferrari made the swap before they had concluded their investigation, meaning no further action was required.
They said: “The Stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing and in-car video evidence and determined that it was alleged that Car 16 forced Car 23 off the track at the exit of Turn 2.
“However, before we could conclude our investigations, Car 16 voluntarily gave the position back to mitigate the alleged breach. In the circumstances, we took no further action.”
Inside the cockpit, Leclerc was furious with being told to move.
After the race, Leclerc was left even more confused when he was told he was under investigation.
Leclerc: “Now you explain to me the penalty or not?”
Race engineer Bryan Bozzi: “We are being investigated after the race.”
Leclerc: “What do you mean, you told me to let him pass?”
Earlier in the race, he was also annoyed with the timing of the virtual safety car, saying: “Unbelievable! This is unbelievable. Every time I get f**ked with a virtual safety car.”
“That’s how racing is now? When you can’t pass, you need to let pass. This is a f**king joke. What did I do wrong?”
Despite his anger, Leclerc can reflect on a good recovery drive that allowed him to go from P11 to sixth.
Hamilton’s P4 ensured Ferrari picked up 20 points in their first home race of the season.
