Charles Leclerc Receives Penalty Point for 'Erratic Driving' at Hungarian GP

Why it matters

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has received an additional penalty point on his F1 superlicence following a five-second penalty for "erratic driving" at the Hungarian Grand Prix. This is his first penalty point in the current 12-month period.

The details

• Leclerc was initially penalized five seconds during the Budapest race for moving under braking while battling Mercedes' George Russell for third.
• The penalty did not impact his fourth-place finish due to his significant gap to Fernando Alonso.
• FIA stewards' verdict cited Leclerc's moves as "erratic," specifically mentioning his trajectory towards Russell and a second move under braking that "nearly caused a collision."
• Stewards noted Russell successfully overtook Leclerc without contact, leading to a less severe penalty.

The bigger picture

Under F1's penalty system, 12 points within 12 months results in a one-race ban. Leclerc now has one point.

What they're saying

• Leclerc acknowledged his defensive tactics were "on the limit" and joked about Russell being "quite vocal" on team radio.
• Russell emphasized the danger of moving under braking at high speeds, stating it's "not allowed in the rules."