Charles Leclerc suffered an accident during the second lap of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, reaching speeds above 170 km/h. He left the medical center unharmed but plans to undergo further examinations to confirm his participation in the next Formula 1 event in Madrid.
The Monegasque driver lost control of his Ferrari at the exit of Parabolica, just two turns after the start of the race. Leclerc had begun in third position due to Oscar Piastri’s penalty, but shortly before the incident, he had lost his place to Max Verstappen and was defending against Piastri.
The accident occurred when Leclerc had placed his SF-26 on the curb and tried to accelerate. The vehicle went sideways, touched a green area outside the white line, and lost grip, causing a rear-axis loss of control in a part of the circuit that puts a lot of stress on the tires. The impact was lateral and quickly raised concerns about the driver’s physical condition. According to Planet F1, the car sustained significant damage after a crash that caused an intense deceleration, equivalent to between 50 and 60 G-forces.
Leclerc commented that the issue was not leaving the white line, but a difference in power delivery compared to the previous lap. “I wouldn’t say that was the problem. I think between the first and second lap, there was a slight difference in the way the power was delivered. We will review it, but I don’t want to comment too much before looking at the data and confirming it 100%,” said the driver.
Initially, Leclerc was attended to by FIA doctor Ian Roberts before being taken to the circuit’s medical center. Although he showed no injuries in the first medical check, he experienced discomfort post-accident. His main concern was a visual disturbance in his right eye, but he assured that he was already feeling fine. “I am okay. The neck is fine, just the vision gave me some trouble at first,” he commented. Despite his condition, he will undergo additional tests as a precaution before the Spanish Grand Prix.
After the accident, the Safety Car was deployed, and the red flag was later shown to repair the damaged barrier. Leclerc’s exit from the circuit further complicated the start of the race for the Italian team, which had already had a troubled beginning.
Source: www.infobae.com
