Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc had a topsy-turvy 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, at one point down to 19th after a torrid opening spell only to find himself battling for second place on the final lap with the finish in sight.
He and his team were probably the most creative in strategy, making calls that set the benchmark in terms of pitstops, but the lunge he made on second-placed Sergio Perez never worked.
The #16 Ferrari overshot the tricky sequence of final left-right-left corners and went the long way around only to watch the Pink car and his teammate Sebastian Vettel nip past on the shorter path.
Hence a brief second place turned to fourth in the blink of an eye for an incensed Monaco Kid who castigated himself over the radio: “I did a shit job. I am so sorry to the whole team, I am fucking stupid.”
In what is is now his post-self-inflicted-mistake trademark, out came the whip for some more self-flagellation followed when he told reporters, “Unfortunately in the last corner, nothing to say, in the last three corners.
“In the end, the end result counts. I was good for one part of the race but shit when it matters and that’s it. Fourth. I’m so disappointed.
“Now that I’ve calmed down, congratulations to Seb – he deserves it. It’s not been a good year for him. Even if I’m so pissed off with myself, he’s done a great job and I hope he will enjoy it. I’m pleased for him as he has had a difficult season so far and completely deserves this first podium.”
Two corners away from P2… Charles Leclerc slipped down the order to finish P4 💔#TurkishGP 🇹🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/587k6ovv6U
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 15, 2020