Charles Leclerc warned of difficult recovery after 'CATASTROPHIC' crash

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Leclerc warned of difficult recovery after 'CATASTROPHIC' crash

Leclerc failed to start the Brazilian Grand Prix after crashing out on the formation lap

Cal Gaunt

Sunday 12 November 2023 15:57

Jean Todt has warned Charles Leclerc of a difficult recovery after his disastrous Brazilian Grand Prix crash.

Leclerc's Ferrari encountered a hydraulic issue at Interlagos, causing him to crash into the barriers before the race commenced.

Despite initially being positioned on the front row, his chances of challenging Max Verstappen were admittedly slim.

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However, completing the race would have been crucial for Ferrari's aspirations of securing second place in the constructors' championship.

Charles Leclerc was set to start the race from P2 behind Max Verstappen before he crashed on the formation lap

Jean Todt has concerns over Charles Leclerc's ability to recover from such a crash

Todt: Leclerc facing tough recovery

Looking ahead to how Leclerc can fight back after such a disappointing weekend, Todt expressed his concerns for the Mongasque driver.

"It's catastrophic and I'm thinking of poor Charles," said Todt. "You have to be strong to recover from this of situation. He still has two grands prix to recover, but it's going to be difficult."

Ferrari have faced reliability challenges for much of the year, with Leclerc experiencing three DNF's instances and now a DNS.

Charles Leclerc will heading into the Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi races hoping for better fortune

Speaking to Fox Sports MX after his retirement, Leclerc explained the reason behind his crash.

"Maybe I pressed the charge button, not the DRS, the DRS button is behind the wheel," he said. "So this wasn’t what happened, and it wasn't related to the malfunction anyway.

"I lost the hydraulics, and I pressed the button when I lost the wheel. I just want to forget about this week and this season."