“It was just an inchident”: No love lost between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen despite opening lap incident in F1 Las Vegas GP

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc believe that despite their hard racing and clashes on track, they manage to debrief their way through the incidents. Speaking after the 2023 Las Vegas GP, both drivers were expected to talk about the incident in the opening laps.

Known to have long detailed chats during the race weekends, the duo are often seen debriefing their track action, having lengthy conversations from the paddock and pit lane to the press conferences. The press conference in Las Vegas was no different, as both drivers kept conversing with each other at every opportunity they had.

The duo ran out of space while overtaking each other in the opening laps of the Las Vegas GP, where Max Verstappen, who was on the inside line, forced Leclerc wide off the track. Despite the Monegasque running out of road, he explained that he had anticipated going wide given the narrow margin

The Dutchman was slapped with a five-second penalty for the incident, which he served in the pits and explained to his scarlet peer after the race. Describing their debriefs, the duo suggested they always had similar race and session debriefs since their karting years.

Asked by Sportskeeda about the incident and the duo's way of discussing on-track action with each other, Max Verstappen said:

“We had that little moment. I explained to Charles what happened and also with the debriefing, I think that's something we do naturally. We did that already back in the day in go-karting and stuff. It's nice, especially when you have a fun race together, everyone, and you had some battles. There's always something to talk about.”

Having grown through the ranks of racing, their bond has evolved into an understanding between the two where negative remarks are not a signature after on-track clashes. Leclerc felt that the debriefs with Max Verstappen in the old days were more heated than the ones now where they explain it to each other and have grown out of the bickering.

Adding to the aforementioned comments, Leclerc said:

“Yeah, exactly. However, I think the debriefs we had back in the day were a bit more tense.”

Interrupting Leclerc, the Dutchman said (referencing an old karting video):

“It was just an inchident [sic.]”

Explaining the debriefs with the three-time F1 World Champion, Leclerc said:

“But now we are a bit calmer and obviously we grew up together. I know Max very, very well as a driver. And yeah, I knew that he would go for it and also in the moment, Max has won the Drivers championship, they won the Constructors’ championship and he also knows that he's going to go for it and give it all in lap one, turn one and I knew that.

"Yeah, I gave a bit of margin because I had more to lose and especially with the Constructors’ championship fight we have with Mercedes. But it was fun and then we spoke about it, he explained to me the situation and it's like this, it's fine.”

The rapport is fairly unusual compared to the Dutchman’s clashes with other rivals where it has resulted in numerous remarks and headlines.

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Max Verstappen explains the incident with Charles Leclerc at Las Vegas GP

Max Verstappen claimed that the incident with Charles Leclerc was not intentional. The Dutchman felt that he was on the dirt side of the circuit, which resulted in him pushing the Monegasque wide while overtaking him in the opening laps. He believes the slippery track surface did not make it any easier and accepted the five-second penalty.

Explaining the opening laps of the race, Max Verstappen said:

“Well, I mean, the start was good. But then, we braked quite late to defend the position but I was a bit on the inside, on the dirt, I guess. As soon as you’re a bit off-line here, it’s super low grip. And that's what happened. I braked and there was no grip.

"I didn't mean to push Charles off the track, but I couldn't slow it down and I just kept sliding on four wheels, wide. So that's why we had to go wide. You know, at the time, you’re also full of adrenaline and I was not happy with the decision.

"But, you know, looking back at it, it was probably the right call. And yeah, after that, with that five seconds it was definitely a bit harder to come back to the front.”

Prior to the race start, Oscar Piastri’s vintage car in the drivers' parade left a large oil slick on the side of the track where Max Verstappen was going to start on the grid. A new circuit with a smooth track surface, coupled with late braking, botched the Dutchman’s start. But the inside line of the circuit lacked grip compared to the outside.

Several drivers noted that the Las Vegas Grand Prix track surface resembled driving in rainy conditions due to the cooler temperatures. The reigning champion clinched a record-extending eighteenth victory this season and now sits on a total of 549 points in the drivers' championship — an all-time record.