Leclerc crash forces Ferrari to end test early in Abu Dhabi

©Ferrari

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Charles Leclerc offered a painful send off to his SF90 in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, the Ferrari driver putting his car in the barriers in the final test session of 2019.

With two hours remaining on the clock, Leclerc, who had been trading fastest laps with Mercedes' George Russell up to that point, lost control over a kerb at Yas Marina's Turn 13.

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The Monegasque fortunately emerged unscathed from the crash but a damage assessment by the Scuderia decided the Italian outfit to end its day early, with Leclerc positioned second on the timesheet, 0.197s behind Russell.

"This was our last day on track and I think it was useful, despite the accident which meant I had to stop early," said Leclerc.

"We did a lot of comparison testing of the 2020 tyres up against this year’s and acquired a lot of data which will now be analysed in depth.

"Now we can switch off for a while, but I will never forget my first season with Scuderia Ferrari and I’m sure that it won’t be long until I want to be back on track."

It has indeed been an impressive campaign for the 22-yaer-old who concluded his season with two race wins, at Spa and Monza, and seven pole positions, the most for any driver in 2019.

©Ferrari

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.