Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc crashed out of the Miami Sprint Race before it started, as rain poured onto the track and he lost control during the tire warm-up laps.
The early part of Saturday was marked by rainfall, with conditions likely more suitable for wet tires than the intermediate tires on Leclerc’s car.
The large puddles of standing water increased by the second, causing Leclerc to aquaplane and completely lose control against one of the many walls on the Miami street track.
He was set to start the sprint race in P6, where he could have captured a potential podium finish given the shifting conditions.
“There could be many, many reasons, but at the end of the day, I’m the one behind the wheel,” Leclerc told the media after his crash.
“So, I mean, it’s a mistake and a big one because, obviously, on the lap to the grid, that’s never what you want.
“I was completely out of control in the back straight.
“I wasn’t even flat out, so I wasn’t trying to push in the straights, but there was a lot of aquaplaning, and the car was just not responding to anything I was doing anymore, and it was the wall.”
The race eventually got underway, and Leclerc’s teammate Lewis Hamilton captured a podium finish based on the seven-time world champion’s bold decision to come in earlier for slick tires.
The rain subsided quickly during the race, and the humid heat allowed the track to dry rapidly.
Ferrari got the strategy right and pitted Hamilton at the right time, which could have likely led to at least a P4 finish for Leclerc.
Hamilton was not particularly fast either, struggling to stay ahead of Williams’ car, which resulted in the drastic tire choice.
After his second podium with the Scuderia, Hamilton noted how he and Ferrari had decided.
“I really, really did struggle on the inters. I think everyone was struggling on them and I just, I made that call at the end. I was like, ‘I’m coming in because I was going nowhere,” he said.
“So, take the risk, take the gamble and it paid off. I wish we had another couple of laps to give these guys (Norris and Piastri) a bit of a fight, but, you know, big congrats to McLaren as always.
“I was so happy, really, really happy with the results to get up here, because it wasn’t looking very good through qualifying.
“Obviously, we were a chunk off these guys and then to get onto the inters, I was just sliding around.
“I had the Williams behind me, I think, and there was another one behind him who was most likely to get overtaken by. So, I was like, I’ve got to roll the dice.
“I was full lock through turn 12 and full lock through turn 16 and it still wasn’t turning, so I was like, let’s just go for it. Honestly, I should have done it maybe a lap or two before that.”
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