The championship advantage has once again swung in favor of Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was going well in the initial stages of the French Grand Prix. But an uncharacteristic mistake from the Monegasque ended his race prematurely.

Leclerc crashed out in the first half of the race after he lost control of his car. The crash denied the fans an intense battle with Verstappen that was brewing up from the start of the race. Many, including Dr. Helmut Marko, sympathized with Leclerc after his crash.

“It’s a shame what happened to Leclerc and it would have been a high-level fight in which we probably would have had an advantage. It’s also a shame that before that he already gave up twice because of health problems. Engine. It’s a shame that mistakes keep happening in such a great duel. It deprives us of an exceptional championship,” said Marko. [Translated by Google]

WATCH: Charles Leclerc Suffers a Scary Crash During the Italian Grand Prix

Leclerc blamed himself for the crash and took full responsibility for his retirement during the post-race interview.

Charles Leclerc takes full responsibility for his French GP crash

Not only is the crash demoralizing for him in terms of the race result, but more so in terms of losing ground in the championship battle. Leclerc is now 63 points behind Verstappen with just one race remaining before the mid-season break.

“If we end up losing the championship, I will know what the reason will be. For the second half of the season, I know I have to be on top if I want to be the world champion. I will lock myself in my house and only go out when I have to fly to Budapest. I just want to be alone,” said Leclerc.

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It is refreshing to see a driver self-critical of himself and accept blame. But does not need to be too down on himself as he has the opportunity to bounce back next week in Hungary.

The Hungaroring should suit the F1-75 more than the Red Bulls, which would be good news for Leclerc. If he wins in Hungary, then he can go into the second half of the season in a positive frame of mind.