Leclerc Sadly Admits After Being Booed: 'Not The Most Enjoyable' Podium
F1Tuesday, 31 October 2023 at 13:00
Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc reacted to being booed in after achieving P3 in the Mexico City Grand Prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Charles Leclerc started the weekend in Mexico City in the best possible way when he achieved pole position in the final stages of qualifying on Saturday and secured a P1 start for Sunday's race.
However, going into the first corner after the race start, the Monegasque driver found himself sandwiched between two Red Bulls of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen.
Having nowhere to go, Leclerc collided with Perez, which turned into him. The incident put the home-favorite Mexican driver out of the race. Leclerc was able to finish the race in P3 despite the damage on his front wing.
Even though the Ferrari driver was not at all at fault, the home crowd showed their disapproval of the incident when the fans in the stadium section booed Leclerc during the post-race interview as the only driver of the podium winners. Leclerc responded:
"A lot of booing, guys. Honestly, I had nowhere to go. I was a bit in between the two Red Bulls and unfortunately I touched Checo, but I had nowhere to go."
During the post-race conference, Leclerc couldn't hide his disappointment with how the podium celebrations went and told the media sadly:
"Obviously, it’s my first podium in Mexico. I think it’s one of the most special podiums. On the other hand, on a day like this, it’s obviously not the most enjoyable one as there was quite a few booings once I got there."
The Monegasque driver also acknowledged that a great majority of the crowd came to the circuit to support their home hero and that was ruined after the first lap.
"But I can understand that there’s a lot of disappointment for fans that have been waiting for this moment for a whole year, and then they see their favourite driver out in Turn 1, which is a shame."
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