Charles Leclerc admitted his radio message aimed at Kimi Antonelli was ‘a bit too harsh’ during the Miami Grand Prix Sprint. The Ferrari driver expressed regret over his words after finishing third in the race.
Leclerc had initially criticized Antonelli, stating, “Kimi is… so bad on wheel-to-wheel. He moved under braking, it’s unbelievable. We’re going to crash.” His comments came after a tense battle on track.
As of midday, Antonelli received a five-second penalty for excessive track limits breaches during the Sprint. This penalty further complicated his race strategy.
Earlier in the weekend, Leclerc had shown strong performance. He led Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in practice, finishing 0.164 seconds clear of him. However, he faced challenges during qualifying.
After qualifying, Leclerc remarked, “We were just not fast enough today”. His focus now shifts to improving for future races.
Leclerc currently holds third place in the Drivers’ standings with 55 points. Meanwhile, Antonelli has a seven-point lead over him.
The next race will be crucial for both drivers as they aim to gain momentum in the championship. With tensions running high, their rivalry may intensify further.