Leclerc: I ran into serious trouble after the midpoint of the race

"After the halfway mark, I ran into serious trouble," explained the Monegasque driver. "The car's balance was far too aggressive—very different from what I normally use—and front-end grip was extremely weak. It was a good setup for the opening phase of the race, but once the track dried out, I was well off the pace."

"I knew I had to nail my exit out of Turn 5 because our performance in all the right-hand corners was poor, mostly down to issues with the front-left tyre."

"That's how it played out when the McLaren drivers collided. I got a strong exit out of the corner, checked my mirrors, and saw their red lights flashing, which meant they had spun, so I knew something had happened behind me."