Max Verstappen over the limit seeking F1 rival Las Vegas clash

Verstappen and Leclerc clash at Las Vegas Grand Prix. Leclerc says Verstappen deserved penalty, but punishment was too light.

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc recently discussed their clash at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with Leclerc expressing his belief that Verstappen deserved his penalty for an illegal overtake during the race. Despite this, Leclerc also felt that the penalty imposed on Verstappen was too lenient, as he thought the Dutchman should have been ordered to surrender the lead he had gained illegally.

Leclerc acknowledged that Verstappen had approached him to explain the situation, and while he felt the five-second penalty was deserved, he expressed his opinion that the FIA should have asked Verstappen to give the place back instead. He believed that this would have been a more appropriate response, as it would have prevented Verstappen from gaining an unfair advantage by taking care of his tires in free air.

During the race, Leclerc finished in second place after overtaking Sergio Perez on two separate occasions, ultimately denying Red Bull a one-two finish. He expressed disappointment at not being able to secure the win for himself, attributing this to the impact of a safety car that closed up the field and allowed Perez to make a cheap pit stop that slowed Leclerc down.

Despite this disappointment, Leclerc expressed his enjoyment of the race and the numerous fights he engaged in, ultimately concluding that second place was the best result they could achieve under the circumstances. He highlighted the challenges they faced with older tires towards the end of the race but expressed satisfaction with the overall performance.