Lewis Hamilton left Monza irritated with the way Charles Leclerc handled the battle between the two, but David Coulthard assessed that the Monegasque driver did nothing wrong. For the former Formula 1 driver, Hamilton needs to accept the consequences of the choice he made on the first lap.
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Hamilton attacked Leclerc on the inside at the first corner of the Italian GP and managed to put his car alongside his teammate. On the exit of the next corner, however, the Brit ended up being pushed into the escape area and lost some positions, needing to start a recovery race.
Coulthard considered that Leclerc was fair in leaving space for Hamilton at the entry of the first corner, but pointed out that the situation changed when he started occupying the outside line: “I thought Lewis was brilliant on the braking, and Charles was very fair in giving space. But Charles had every right to use the outside of the track, which then becomes the inside of the next corner,” he said on the Up To Speed podcast.
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In the former driver’s assessment, Hamilton took a greater risk by staying on the outside: “When you put yourself on the outside, you are at the mercy of the car on the inside. It’s a bigger risk than being on the inside,” explained Coulthard, who considered that Leclerc just used the racing line and left Hamilton with the choice to continue or go to the escape area.
Hamilton complained over the radio and later defended that Ferrari establish clearer rules for the two drivers. Coulthard acknowledged that he would understand the Brit’s irritation, but reinforced his assessment of the incident: “If you put yourself in that position, you also need to accept the consequences,” concluded the Scot.
