Ferrari’s partner responds to ‘dangerous’ Charles Leclerc interview after Monaco Grand Prix
Ferrari’s partner recently responded after Charles Leclerc blamed his crash at the Monaco Grand Prix on brake problems. Leclerc was doing well and on track for a podium finish at his home race on Sunday but crashed at the final corner just before a safety car restart late in the race. He slid into the barrier, causing a brief pause in the race because some tarmac came loose on the track.
Along with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lance Stroll, Leclerc did not finish the race and was clearly upset on his team radio. Right after the crash, he said, “Honestly, I’m not even going to take the f***ing blame. These f***ing brakes!” Having had similar issues before in Montreal, the 28-year-old stayed frustrated when talking to the media after the race.
He said, “I don’t have many words. Today, I look like an idiot. When it’s your own mistake, that’s okay, but this was almost dangerous.” He added, “I’ve always been honest, and even when I mess up, I hate making excuses. That’s why I’m honest in front of cameras, but today I’m not taking the blame.”
Leclerc explained that when he touched the brakes, the front brakes failed more than he expected, and the rear brakes didn’t slow him down at all. “It felt like I had no rear brakes,” he said. He also mentioned that “as soon as the safety car came out, three of my four brakes stopped working,” and he “could never get them to work again.”
Ferrari’s brake supplier, Brembo, who has been working with Ferrari since 1975, responded after Leclerc’s comments. Brembo said they were “very surprised” by the driver’s claims and reminded everyone that it’s too soon to make any final conclusions before checking all the data. In their statement, they wrote, “We are unaware of what caused Charles’ brake problems and think it’s too early to say anything without analyzing the telemetry and working with the team engineers.”
Even with the disappointing crash, it wasn’t a bad weekend for Ferrari overall. Lewis Hamilton, encouraged by support from his partner Kim Kardashian, finished second behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who is leading for the 2026 season.
Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, who missed the race due to a hospital visit, expressed hope that they will fix the brake issues before the next race in Spain. He said, “It was very frustrating for Charles. We had brake problems all weekend, and something clearly wasn’t right. We’ll look closely at what happened and fix it for Barcelona. Charles was doing well, so it’s disappointing to lose those points at his home race.”
Right now, Leclerc is fourth in the overall standings with 75 points, 15 points behind his teammate Hamilton, who is in second place. Ferrari is second in the constructors’ championship with 165 points, just behind Mercedes.