Ferrari’s Leclerc and Aston Martin’s Stroll Receive Reprimands in Spanish Grand Prix Practice
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll received a reprimand for making contact with other cars during Saturday’s third free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix, a crucial event in the Formula 1 calendar.
The drama unfolded towards the end of the FP3 session when Leclerc was impeded by Lando Norris through Turn 5, sparking an angry response from the Monegasque. In a move that could have compromised his Formula 1 standings, Leclerc pulled up alongside the McLaren and swerved into him, his left-rear tyre making contact with Norris’ front wing endplate. The contact left Norris reporting damage to his car.
“F***er. I don’t understand why they do that.”
- Charles Leclerc, expressing his frustration over the team radio
A similar incident occurred between Stroll and Lewis Hamilton in the same left-hand corner. As Hamilton blocked Stroll while he was on an out lap, Stroll cut off Hamilton, who had moved all the way over to the edge of the track. The contact resulted in both cars making glancing contact around the floor edge area, prompting Stroll’s Aston Martin team to check his car for damage.
“I hadn’t seen the Aston driver.”
- Lewis Hamilton, acknowledging his mistake
Both Leclerc and Stroll were summoned by the FIA race stewards to justify their aggressive driving behaviour, which was potentially in breach of the FIA’s sporting regulations regarding “driving unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous”. The stewards took a lenient approach, issuing each driver their first reprimand of the season.
In his hearing, Leclerc claimed he had misjudged the distance with Norris and made contact by accident. The stewards deemed the move “erratic” but not dangerous, issuing a driving reprimand in line with precedents. Stroll, on the other hand, said he just wanted to express his displeasure with Hamilton’s actions. The stewards considered his move “erratic” as well, but not dangerous, and issued a driving reprimand accordingly.
This incident serves as a reminder of the high stakes in Formula 1 today, where split-second decisions can have a significant impact on a driver’s Formula 1 news-worthy championship aspirations.
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