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Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc had to retire from the 2023 F1 Dutch GP due to floor damage after making contact with McLaren driver Oscar Piastri on the opening lap of the race.
It was a weekend to forget for the Monegasque driver as he never really looked comfortable throughout, crashing in the qualifying and also getting damaged on the opening lap of the race. Although the damage looked minimal at first, it proved to be dangerous for Charles Leclerc's race as he looked uncompetitive throughout the entire time he was on the track.
The team and the driver tried their best to suffer it out but it proved too much to handle and they eventually decided to retire him from the race. As per F1.com, Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur said of Charles Leclerc's race:
"Charles’ race was compromised on the opening lap, when there was the collision with Oscar Piastri, which caused damage on his SF-23. We felt it would be enough to change the front wing but unfortunately, the floor was also damaged and that got worse with every passing lap, to the point that we decided to retire him."
Charles Leclerc looks back at his miserable Dutch GP weekend
Charles Leclerc termed the race on Sunday as a 'tricky' one for him owing to the damage on the opening lap from Piastri's McLaren.
"It was a tricky race on my side," he said. "When I arrived at the last corner on lap 1, I saw how much rain was coming down and decided to call for a pit stop. I knew it was a late one, but at the same time, I also knew that it would be worth it in the end, because we had more to gain than to lose there."
"Unfortunately, after Oscar [Piastri] and I touched, I had damage on my floor and the issue got worse over the course of the race, ultimately leading to us retiring. It’s not been the weekend we wished for overall, but I’m already looking forward to our home race in Monza next week," he added.
Next up is the home race for the Ferrari F1 team and they would hope that they do not face similar challenges as the Dutch GP in front of the roaring Tifosis.
It would be crucial for Charles Leclerc and the team to perform their best in front of their fans to salvage something from the weekend. It would probably save their entire season from being termed as an absolute failure.
