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Leclerc praised by F1 boss for handling of costly retirement

Charles Leclerc made a costly mistake that saw him spin out of the lead and into the barriers at the French Grand Prix. But Stefano Domenicali was impressed with the way Leclerc took ownership of his error afterwards.

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has praised Charles Leclerc for his reaction to spinning out of the lead in Sunday’s French Grand Prix. Starting from pole position, Leclerc held off the advances of Max Verstappen to lead the opening stages of the race, but spun off the track and into the barriers on Lap 18 of 53 while under no pressure. The Monegasque was unable to rejoin the action, and let out a cry of anguish over the radio at his unforced error. While it was not immediately clear whether Leclerc had suffered some sort of mechanical failure that had pitched him into a spin, the Ferrari driver conceded after his race that he had simply made a costly mistake, and his honest assessment drew praise from Domenicali. "It was a difficult day for Charles, but he showed great dignity in his reaction to the outcome and reminds us again how incredible these young men are," the F1 CEO wrote on Twitter.

Domenicali praises Red Bull and Mercedes

Domenicali also reserved praise for Red Bull and Verstappen after the race. The Dutchman cruised to his seventh win of the season at Paul Ricard, while Mercedes scored their best result of the season so far with second and third places for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. "Congratulations to Red Bull and Max on a great win and to Mercedes for the podiums from Lewis and George," wrote Domenicali. Verstappen now enjoys a 63-point lead over Leclerc in the Drivers' standings.

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