Leclerc "will learn from Imola error - it won't happen again"

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Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has pledged to learn from the mistake he made in last weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and that there will be no repeat of the unforced error in future outings.

Leclerc was running in third place during the closing stages of the race behind the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, and looked set to pick up a podium finish at Imola.

But in his efforts to pile the pressure on Perez, he ended up making a mistake himself and was pitched into a spin at the Variante Alta chicane after being too aggressive on the kerbs.

Read also: Ferrari supportive of Leclerc's decision 'to push' at Imola

Although he avoided major damage to the car and was able to get back underway, Leclerc still needed to pit for a new front wing and fresh tyres - all of which meant he dropped down to sixth place at the finish.

"It's one of those mistakes where it is a bit more the mental approach that you've had at that particular moment of the race," Leclerc told the media including Motorsport.com afterwards.

"Obviously we've had pressure not only [during the race] but for the whole weekend, and I don't think I've done many mistakes before," he added, denying he had 'cracked' under pressure.

"It was the mistake that cost me a lot and I'll learn from it, but no - on my side there was no particular added pressure whatsoever," he stated emphatically.

"I've always been strong in knowing exactly which particular feeling I felt at what moment of the race, and know how to correct it," he continued.

"It's again a mistake, but I'll learn from it and won't do it again," he pledged. "Maybe this one is a bit different.

Leclerc had gone into the weekend with a commanding 46 point lead over Verstappen in the drivers championship after just three races, as a result of two DNFs for the Red Bull in Bahrain and Melbourne.

But with Verstappen victorious in the latest race as well as the proceeding sprint, that gap has now been cut to 27 points heading into the inaugural Miami GP next weekend. However Leclerc is looking at the bright side.

"With the mistake actually, I have been a bit lucky because I've only lost seven points again to what I could have scored," he pointed out.

"But it's seven points that could be valuable at the end of the season," he accepted. "Every point counts when you're driving for the title.

"So, yeah - it won't happen again."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.