Verstappen calls Leclerc move "reckless" after first lap Sakhir GP crash
Max Verstappen called Charles Leclerc's Turn 4 move in the Sakhir Grand Prix "reckless" after an incident forced both drivers to retire on the opening lap of the race


Leclerc, Verstappen and Racing Point's Sergio Perez were left jostling for position on the straight from Turn 3 to Turn 4 on the first lap, going three-wide at one point.
But as Leclerc dived up the inside of Verstappen at Turn 4, the Ferrari driver locked up and ran into Perez ahead, sending both cars spinning.
Verstappen was forced wide as a result of the spins, running into the gravel and crashing into the wall at the exit of Turn 4, putting him out of the race.
Leclerc was also eliminated, while Perez dropped to the back of the order and was forced to pit on the opening lap behind the resulting safety car.
"The start wasn't bad, but of course, Valtteri [Bottas] squeezed, which is normal, so I had to back out," Verstappen explained.
"From there onwards, it was all about surviving in-between the cars. I don't know why they were being so aggressive and so reckless. We are all up in the front, and at the end of the day now, three cars basically were the victim of that, two cars heavily.
"I don't really know why, especially Charles in Turn 4, why he dives up the inside like that, especially to brake that late as well. What do you expect?
"Checo cannot see what is happening on the inside, and he basically just locked his wheel and understeered into him.
"When Checo was spinning backwards, I tried to go around the outside, tried not to damage my car, but there's nothing you can do there."

Leclerc explained that he thought Perez would hang his car out wide to try and pass Bottas for second place, only to be caught out by how the Racing Point car came back across the track.
"I was in fifth I think, and I was side-by-side, a bit behind Max I think, and tried to overtake him into Turn 4," Leclerc said.
"I had seen Checo, but I expected him to go around the outside of Valtteri and stay there, but I think he decided after to come back on the inside, and I was there.
"It was too late for me to slow down. I don't think it's a mistake from Checo, I'm not putting the blame on Checo. If there's anybody to blame today, it's me. But I would say it's more unfortunate than blame."
When told that Leclerc had taken the blame, Verstappen replied: "As he should."
The stewards confirmed shortly after the incident they would be investigating the clash after the race.

Could Russell match Verstappen's shock debut victory feat?
F1 Sakhir GP: Perez takes shock win as Russell denied by pit blunder and puncture

Latest news
Las Vegas approves plan to shut Strip for F1 race until 2032
Officials in Las Vegas have approved a plan to shut the Strip for the Formula 1 grand prix for the next 10 years as they eye a “lifetime in partnership.”
Porsche boss “as surprised as anyone” over Gulf-Williams F1 social media frenzy
Porsche’s head of motorsport Thomas Laudenbach found it “funny” that streamlining its Instagram channels caused a Formula 1 social media speculation frenzy last month.
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
Why Alfa Romeo has kept its blade roll hoop on 2023 F1 car
The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team has retained its unique blade roll hoop for the C43 but designed it to withstand load tests that the FIA will introduce in 2024.
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
How the last Sauber-built Alfa offers F1 2023 evolution clues
Alfa Romeo has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal a new car for 2023, in addition to a fresh livery. This offered a first look at some of the understated changes produced by the revised regulations, along with points of convergence in the second year of the ground effect rules
The pioneering F1 car that preceded Lotus’s terminal decline
In the hands of Ayrton Senna the actively suspended 99T would be the last F1 race-winning Lotus but, as STUART CODLING reveals, it was a complicated machine that caused more problems than it solved
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.