Charles Leclerc states why it is wrong to compare him to Gilles Villeneuve after George Russell incident

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Charles Leclerc endured his first retirement in 31 races in the Dutch Grand Prix, but only after the Ferrari driver’s controversial incident with Mercedes’ George Russell.

The Scuderia saw the Monegasque’s race come to an early end on Lap 53 of 72 at Turn 3, as Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed into Leclerc during the Dutch GP. The Italian teen misjudged his chance to try a move at Hugenholtzbocht in their fight for seventh place.

Leclerc had not failed to finish a Grand Prix since he retired from the 2024 Canadian GP due to an engine failure before his Dutch GP ended in the wall last Sunday. The 27-year-old’s day even involved a collision with the other Mercedes belonging to Russell on Lap 32 at Turn 12.

Russell was left with damage to his W16, which cost the Briton around one second each lap, after Leclerc pulled off an aggressive overtake for P5 on the road. The Ferrari driver made a late lunge around Russell’s outside through T11, which meant he took the inside line at T12.

Charles Leclerc squashes Valentino Rossi comparisons for his Dutch Grand Prix overtake on George Russell

Leclerc’s slingshot move drew Russell’s wrath, as the 27-year-old never had his front wheels in line with the Briton’s. The Monegasque even seemed to dip all four of his wheels outside track limits as he straddled the kerb. But Leclerc avoided a penalty for his move on Russell.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

The FIA confirmed that Leclerc would not receive a penalty following a lengthy investigation into his overtake on Russell in the Dutch GP. The incident with Russell also saw Leclerc draw comparisons to F1 icon Gilles Villeneuve and seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi.

But Leclerc is adamant that it is wrong to liken his move on Russell to Rossi’s infamous pass on Casey Stoner through the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca in the 2008 MotoGP US Grand Prix. It is also wrong to liken him to Villeneuve, given he and the Canadian raced in different eras.

Leclerc told Sky Italia: “Just being compared to Vale Rossi and Gilles Villeneuve is special, but these are different times. They took more risks. Anyway, I had fun.”

George Russell has no doubt that Charles Leclerc left the track in their Zandvoort incident

Russell has no doubt that Leclerc went off the track to complete his overtake, which ruined the Mercedes pilot’s Dutch GP before retirements for Antonelli, Leclerc and McLaren driver Lando Norris lifted him to P4. Yet the FIA stewards claimed the evidence was “inconclusive”.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height

The damage to the left-rear corner of his Mercedes W16 ensured Russell could not stay with Leclerc after their incident on Lap 32 of the 2025 Dutch GP. He fell 3.578 seconds from the Monegasque by Lap 41, at which point Mercedes told Russell to trade places with Antonelli.

Russell was even 11.237s from Leclerc before the Ferrari driver pitted on Lap 52 to cover off Antonelli, as Mercedes had boxed the 19-year-old in an attempted undercut. Leclerc did not want to pit on L52 of the Dutch GP, which put him just ahead of Antonelli before their crash.