Leclerc wanted to 'disconnect' from F1 after recent poor run

Charles Leclerc says he felt the need to “disconnect” from Formula 1 after a chat with Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto earlier this week, but denies there is a divide within the team.

Leclerc was left disappointed when Ferrari’s call on strategy cost him a shot at victory in last weekend’s British Grand Prix, instead paving way for team-mate Carlos Sainz to secure his maiden career win.

Having felt he had the pace to claim his third win of the season, Leclerc was frustrated to see an opportunity to close the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen pass by.

It led to reports in the Italian media that there is friction within the Ferrari camp, but Leclerc dismissed any speculation of a difference in opinion after Silverstone.

“This is really untrue,” Leclerc said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “And I wish I didn’t have to get [into this] because this is the exact question I’ve got everywhere else. And I wish I wouldn’t need to fight for these types of things.

“We are extremely united. Is there a disappointment after the last race because we finished first and fourth? Yes, there was.

“Were we very, very happy that Carlos won his first race? Yes, we were honestly.

“But obviously before the safety car, you are first and second and you finish the race first and fourth. So there’s some kind of disappointment too. But there’s not any kind of division inside the team, that’s for sure.”

Leclerc has seen his title aspirations take a big hit in recent races through a combination of poor reliability and strategy errors, falling to a 43-point deficit in the drivers’ standings after being 41 points ahead before Imola.

In the wake of his latest disappointment, Leclerc confirmed he met with Binotto in Monaco this week to discuss the