Leclerc crashes out of Monaco GP on lap 65 after blaming Ferrari's brakes

Charles Leclerc’s home race ended in disaster at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday when the Ferrari driver crashed into the barrier at Turn 19 on lap 65, triggering a red flag and becoming the sixth retirement of a chaotic afternoon on the streets of Monte Carlo.

Leclerc lost control at the final corner while attempting to build momentum onto the straight during a race restart — the second of the afternoon — just five laps after Lance Stroll had crashed at the same spot. The Monegasque driver made his frustration immediately clear over team radio: “I’m not even going to take the blame! These f***ing brakes!”

Ferrari have not confirmed whether a brake failure was responsible, and attention has since turned to the circuit itself. The asphalt at Turn 19 came under scrutiny from the FIA, who inspected the surface before allowing the race to resume. Former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle noted the striking similarity between the two incidents: “It’s almost a carbon copy of Stroll. Something is going on at that piece of tarmac. He can’t blame himself too hard for that one.”

At the time of the crash, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli led the race with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton running second. Leclerc’s retirement promoted Isack Hadjar to a podium position, as Brundle observed in his trackside commentary.

The retirement was a particularly painful one for Leclerc, who had been on course for what would have been his third podium finish of the season. He joined a lengthy list of retirements that included Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas, Oliver Bearman, Lando Norris, and Stroll — an unusually high attrition rate that underlined the treacherous conditions at the famous street circuit.

The red flag was shown after Leclerc’s car was cleared from the track, with the remaining drivers holding position in the pitlane while officials assessed the Turn 19 surface. Whether the circuit’s asphalt played a role in both crashes is expected to be a central talking point in the post-race inquiry.