Explained: Why Charles Leclerc was left stranded at the side of the track after his F1 Dutch GP DNF?

F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands - Source: Getty
Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Scuderia Ferrari looks on - Source: Getty

Renowned F1 photojournalist, Kym Illman, shared why Charles Leclerc was left stranded by the side of the track after he crashed out of the Dutch GP. Illman, from his Instagram account, informed that Leclerc did not have a way to come back to the paddock, and as a result, he had to wait there till the race concluded.

Ad

The recently concluded Dutch GP at Zandvoort saw Leclerc crash out of the race after he made contact with Kimi Antonelli. As a result, his tire got punctured, and he had to retire from the race, wait by the side of the track, and wait for the race to end.

While many wondered why the Ferrari driver was sitting there instead of walking towards the paddock, Illman came to the rescue. Taking to the Meta-owned platform, here's what he said:

Ad
"After Charles Leclerc's collision with Kimi, he was not allowed to cross the track, and ended up on the outside of Turn 3. From that point of the track, it is a long walk back to pit lane, one that would require him to walk through fan areas. There are also no roads, paths or tracks, that a car or motorbike can collect him from there."
Ad
"The end result was his only option was to sit and watch the race, albeit from one of the best vantage points at the track. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton crashed on the other side of the track, meaning he had a short 200 metre walk back to the paddock," Illman further added.
Ad

In Lap 53 of the race, Leclerc was charging at Antonelli for P7, and tried an ambitious move by going around the outside for the overtake. However, the Mercedes driver shut the door and closed the gap.

This resulted in Leclerc's rear left tire tangling with Antonelli's front right and puncturing the SF-25. As a result, he faced a DNF around half an hour after his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, also crashed out of the race.

Ad

Antonelli, on the other hand, also failed to fetch a good result as he finished the race in P16. Oscar Piastri of McLaren claimed the win ahead of Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls finished in P3 and picked up his first-ever career podium.


Charles Leclerc let his feelings known after Dutch GP contact with Kimi Antonelli

After the conclusion of the Dutch GP, Charles Leclerc shared his thoughts on his contact with Kimi Antonelli. Addressing it, the Monegasque driver called Antonelli "aggressive" and termed the incident a disappointment.

Ad
Charles Leclerc of Monaco drives the (16) Scuderia Ferrari HP SF-25 Ferrari during the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2025 in Zandvoort, Netherlands - Source: Getty
Charles Leclerc of Monaco drives the (16) Scuderia Ferrari HP SF-25 Ferrari during the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2025 in Zandvoort, Netherlands - Source: Getty
"It’s a mistake from Kimi," Leclerc said. "You've got to be very aggressive on a track like this to overtake…maybe it was a bit too much. He went on to touch my rear left and that was the end of my race. So it's disappointing.” (via Sky Sports F1)

After 15 races and three Sprints, Charles Leclerc is in P5 in the standings with 151 points, 42 points ahead of his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who is in P6 with 109 points. Ferrari are in P2 in the Constructors' Championship with 260 points.

Quick Links

Edited by Sabyasachi Biswas
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications