Charles Leclerc needs to "recognize that he has talent" and "focus on the positives" after his crash at the French GP, according to Mika Hakkinen.
Charles Leclerc needs to "recognize that he has talent" and "focus on the positives" after his crash at the French GP, according to Mika Hakkinen.
Commenting on Leclerc's latest incident and its impact on the title race, the two-time world champion said he knows exactly how the Monegasque feels.
"Everyone makes mistakes, but this one was very public and costly," Hakkinen wrote in his column for the .
"I had the same experience, for example, when I crashed leading the Italian GP in 1999, and it is a really difficult experience. You know what you did, you threw away the victory, and you have to accept the responsibility."
"Charles is a fantastic driver and had been perfect until lap 18. He was pushed quite hard by Max (Verstappen), but Ferrari was very good on the fast corners and he was able to keep Red Bull behind."
"The balance between Ferrari and Red Bull at Paul Ricard was brilliant, but Charles' mistake ended the battle. Then it was easy for Max, he controlled the race, took care of his tires and took another important step towards the title."
Hakkinen offered some advice for Leclerc, pointing out the positive side that Carlos Sainz has become a "strong and capable" teammate.
"The important thing now is how Charles reacts to that mistake," the Finn added.
"As he said after the race, he lost 32 points due to mistakes in Imola and Paul Ricard, which he can't keep doing if he wants to beat Max. In addition, Ferrari also had strategy and reliability problems."
"The important thing is that Charles recognizes that he has the talent and the car needed to win races, he just needs to focus on the positives and take it one weekend at a time."
"That's all you can do, focus on each race and doing everything right. In this sport, you have to keep learning, working with the team and doing everything you need to do."