Charles Leclerc escapes serious injury after heavy crash at Italian Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc has escaped serious injury following a heavy crash on the second lap of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday.
The Monegasque Ferrari driver crashed into the tyre barriers at the exit of the Parabolica, bringing out a red flag and stopping the race for around 40 minutes.
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Leclerc had started the race from third on the grid and was battling near the front when he came under pressure from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
After defending against Piastri at the entrance to the Parabolica, Leclerc ran wide and lost control of the rear of his Ferrari as he accelerated out of the high-speed corner.
The car crossed the gravel before hitting the tyre barrier heavily.
Leclerc was able to climb out of the badly damaged car unaided, but sat down on the grass shortly afterwards as medical staff attended to him.
He was then taken to the circuit’s medical centre for checks.
The race was suspended while the Ferrari was removed and repairs were carried out to the barriers, before restarting around 40 minutes later.
Leclerc reveals concerns over his vision
Speaking to Canal+ after undergoing medical checks, Leclerc revealed that he had briefly experienced problems with his vision immediately after the accident.
The 28-year-old said he initially struggled to see properly out of his right eye after leaving the car, but confirmed that his vision had since returned to normal and that medical examinations had found no problems.
Leclerc described the accident as physically intense and said Ferrari would analyse exactly what caused him to lose control, noting a difference in the power delivery through the same corner between the first and second laps.
Despite escaping serious injury, the early retirement means Leclerc leaves Ferrari’s home Grand Prix at Monza without scoring any points.