Charles Leclerc’s bid for a strong result at the São Paulo Grand Prix ended abruptly just three laps in, as the Monegasque was forced to retire following a chain-reaction crash initiated by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc had maintained third position off the line and was well-positioned in the pack when a Safety Car restart triggered a flurry of action into the first corner. While race leader Lando Norris made a clean getaway, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli’s slower reaction saw Piastri dive down the inside in a late-braking manoeuvre.

The McLaren locked up and clipped Antonelli’s car, which then veered into Leclerc’s Ferrari. The contact caused immediate suspension failure and left Leclerc with no option but to pull over and retire.

Leclerc: “I Was Collateral Damage”

“It’s a shame to end with a DNF,” said Leclerc. “I was collateral damage of an incident between Kimi and Oscar who collided and touched my car as a result. It’s frustrating, considering that we are fighting for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

The Ferrari garage was left stunned as both its cars exited the race — Leclerc on lap 3 and Lewis Hamilton on lap 37 due to floor damage sustained in an earlier incident.

Piastri Penalised, Norris Dominates at Interlagos

Piastri was later handed a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision, though he managed to finish fifth. Meanwhile, Norris extended his championship lead by dominating from pole to claim his seventh win of the season.

Max Verstappen recovered from a pit lane start and an early puncture to finish third, narrowly behind Antonelli, who secured a career-best P2 despite being involved in the Turn 1 chaos.

Ferrari Faces Uphill Battle for Constructors’ P2

Charles Leclerc’s early exit dealt a major blow to Ferrari’s ambitions to secure second in the Constructors’ Championship. “We have to execute the next three weekends perfectly to have a chance,” Leclerc said.

Despite showing improved pace since Friday’s sessions, the Scuderia leaves Brazil empty-handed — and with critical points slipping away as the season draws to a close.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre