Charles Leclerc minimizes discussions regarding Ferrari’s strategic decisions at the Australian Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc minimized claims that Ferrari’s strategy hindered his chances of winning at the season opener in Australia, stating he has “no regrets” regarding the choice not to pit during an early Virtual Safety Car (VSC).

The Ferrari driver concluded Sunday’s race in third place, trailing race victor George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in second, although he was in front of the two Mercedes drivers during the initial phases.

Leclerc made an impressive start from fourth on the grid, overtaking Russell at the first corner, and the two drivers exchanged the lead seven times within the first nine laps.

A VSC triggered by Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull stopping at the side of the track on lap 11 presented the field with an excellent chance to pit while minimizing time loss at a reduced pace.

The Mercedes drivers seized the opportunity from second and fourth positions, while Leclerc in first and teammate Lewis Hamilton in third opted to remain on track.

A second opportunity to pit under a VSC arose on lap 18 when Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac halted near the pit lane entrance, but both Ferraris missed their initial chance to capitalize, and by the time they approached the pit lane entrance on the following lap, it had been closed to allow marshals to remove the Cadillac.

This left Ferrari with no alternative but to execute their pit stops at full racing speed, resulting in Leclerc dropping to third when he finally pitted on lap 26.

When asked if he felt he missed a chance at victory by not pitting during one of the VSCs, Leclerc responded: “I don’t think so, but maybe I’m mistaken.”

“It seemed like those guys [Mercedes] had a bit more pace than us today, but perhaps not as much as what we observed yesterday [in qualifying]. So, that’s a positive, but I don’t believe we could have secured a win.”

Leclerc was questioned about the decision again during a press conference an hour later but continued to support Ferrari’s strategy, describing it as a calculated risk that ultimately did not succeed.

• Max Verstappen ‘not having fun’ driving new F1 cars

• F1 drivers criticize new cars at Australian GP – what’s going wrong?

• George Russell wins Australian GP as Mercedes finish 1-2

“I mean I don’t regret it,” he stated. “It was a deliberate and intentional choice.

“Considering from FP1 to now, there has been at least one car that stopped in every session. We recognized that there were very high chances this would not be the only VSC of the race, so we believed it was better for us to possibly wait for another one, and that’s always a gamble.

“Of course, we were unaware that this would occur. The reality is we had other VSCs afterward, one of which was particularly well-timed, but unfortunately for us, the pit entry was closed, and we couldn’t take advantage of it.

“So we were a bit unlucky in that regard, but it was a conscious decision again, and I don’t truly regret it.”

Source: espn.com