Featured Image Credit: F1TV
Topics: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1
Ryan Smart
Charles Leclerc's reaction after Lewis Hamilton's Dutch Grand Prix crash brought out the safety car has emerged.
In slippery conditions, Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari at the turn three banking and clipped the wall with his right front tyre.
The impact was enough to cause terminal damage to the right side of his car and force him to retire from the Grand Prix.
A lap earlier, Leclerc had pitted from fifth place for fresh hard tyres with the rain beginning to fall heavier.
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But Hamilton's race-ending crash brought out the safety car, meaning those cars ahead of Leclerc could pit and lose less time than the Monegasque driver did during his stop.
Thankfully for his side of the garage, Leclerc only lost a single place to Mercedes' George Russell - but he summed up his feelings over team radio.
After driving past a safety car light at the side of the track, Leclerc fumed: "No! F***ing hell. Oh my god. We are so unlucky, it is unbelievable."
It isn't clear whether Leclerc knew that the driver involved in causing the safety car was his team-mate Hamilton at the time of his radio message.
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On the restart, the sole remaining Ferrari driver quickly dispatched of Russell with an aggressive move into the sector three chicane.
Leclerc charged up the outside of Russell - for the inside line into the second part of the chicane - and hit the right side of his Mercedes before completing the move.
He was subsequently placed under investigation by the stewards for causing a collision.
Hamilton will fail to finish a Grand Prix for the first time in the 2025 season as a result of his crash.
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He was disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix, alongside Leclerc, due to excessive plank wear, but both Ferraris had completed the entire race distance before the FIA stewards' sanction.
Hamilton is also under investigation over an alleged pre-race yellow flag infringement, though it is unclear whether any action will now be taken after his retirement from the race.
It would end up being a double DNF in Zandvoort for Ferrari, after Leclerc was hit by Kimi Antonelli shortly after exiting the pit lane following his second pit stop.
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The incident caused terminal damage to Leclerc's suspension and completely tore off the front wing and nose.
The Scuderia will hope for a much better race in front of the home Tifosi in next weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.