F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Ouch! Leclerc crashes classic Lauda Ferrari in Monaco

In a bid to get his storied bad luck at Monaco out of the way before the Principality's Grand Prix in two weeks, Charles Leclerc crashed through no fault of his own an ex-Niki Lauda 312B3 during a demo run in Sunday's Historic Grand Prix.

The Monegasque was out on track onboard the machine raced by Lauda in 1974, pleasing the fans and himself during a pause in the historic event's schedule, when he came into the Rascasse hairpin a bit too hot, the victim of a sudden brake failure on the 312B3.

The Ferrari lost its rear grip and spun backwards into the guard rail, crimpling its rear wing.

It was an awkward moment for Leclerc, but the local hero said the embarrassing contre-temps was unavoidable because he had simply run out of brakes!

"When you thought you already had all the bad luck of the world in Monaco and you lose the brakes into rascasse with one of the most iconic historical Ferrari Formula 1 car. 🙃🔫," Leclerc tweeted.

"I lost the brakes," he later explained. "I braked, the pedal was hard, and it went to the floor.

"I was lucky to have it at that moment, because if I had had it at another place, it wouldn't have been good… the problem is that I got scared. I arrived normally in the corner."

At the time of the mishap, he Ferrari charger was sharing the track with fellow Scuderia legend Jacky Ickx who fortunately made it around safe and sound at the wheel of his superb period 1972 312B2.

And the great Belgian was on hand to console Leclerc who will be avoiding black cats and walking under ladders until his return to Monaco's track in two weeks for the real thing.

©ACM_Peyret_Demard

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Michael Delaney

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