Charles Leclerc stated that speeding at the pit lane which cost him a top 5 finish in Belgium was his mistake.
Leclerc was 5th in Sunday’s race when he was called to the pits for Soft tires on the penultimate lap of the race. The reason for the tire switch was an attempt to set the fastest lap.
The Monegasque rejoined the track right in front of Fernando Alonso. The Alpine driver made a pass but Leclerc managed to retake the position.
However, he did not set the fastest lap. Furthermore, Leclerc was given a 5-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane and was demoted to P6.
“To be honest, after the start, I was quite hopeful and then we had the tear-off in the brakes, so we had to stop and start everything again,” Leclerc reflected on the race on Sky Sports.
“And then I knew it was going to be a difficult race from that moment onward, but P6 in the end, unfortunately with what happened at the end, it is like this.
“[Speeding in the pitlane] is not bad luck, it’s just my fault, so it’s a mistake and that’s it.”
Leclerc also acknowledged that Ferrari should work on improving the pace.
“On the other hand, we were just not quick enough this weekend and this is the big problem more than anything, so we need to work on that.
“[The title] starts to look very different, especially with the pace they [Red Bull] have shown this weekend.
“[It] is going to be very, very difficult, but I’ll get my head down and try to focus right by race and do my best.”
