Charles Leclerc has been Ferrari’s only fit stallion in an otherwise dismal campaign. The Monegasque has managed to place his SF1000 on the podium on two occasions, albeit with some luck.
Having outperformed a whole host of drivers, including Sebastian Vettel, in most of the races thus far, his Spanish Grand Prix wasn’t really going to plan.
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But that was before disaster struck, in the form of an electrical issue, causing his engine to shut off and nuking any chance of a points finish.
However, as a desperate Leclerc managed to restart the engine, he also managed to undo his seatbelt. Leclerc then went on to complete two laps with an unfastened seatbelt before the team put him out of his misery by retiring him.
He opened up on that fiasco ahead of the race in Spa. Leclerc said, “I unbuckled myself once I knew there was a problem with the engine. I didn’t think I would go again. Then I put them on the way to go again on the track.
“I did one slow lap, especially to know whether the engine was working properly again or not. Then on the second lap, I started to push. (But) I realized that one of the four buckles that we have as a seat belt was not on.
“So I told it to the team and I stopped straight away.”
After coming into the pits, he hoped to get back out again. The Ferrari crew tried to help him get his seatbelt situation sorted but to no avail. As a result, he was forced to retire.
Can Charles Leclerc add to his points tally in Belgium?
Returning to the venue where he won his maiden Grand Prix last year, Leclerc would know well that the possibility of a repeat performance from 2019 is out of the books.
While he would hope to bag another podium finish, that too seems highly unlikely unless a few drivers in front of him retire. After a DNF in the last race, the ideal plan would be to finish in the Top-6, adding to the 45 points that he already has.
He certainly seems to have a better car compared to that of his teammate Vettel, but top results aren’t a guarantee. With a high chance of rain expected, if Leclerc can stay on the track, he’d be on for a solid, if unspectacular, finish.
