Leclerc cleared to race as Ferrari tension cools
"We sat face-to-face, just him and I"
Charles Leclerc has been cleared to race in Madrid after further medical checks following his heavy Monza crash, while Ferrari appears to have calmed the tensions exposed during its disastrous home weekend.
"It felt like a serious accident," Leclerc, who reported vision problems after the impact, said on Thursday.
"But all the checks went well."
Ferrari has nevertheless removed the new ADUO-2 engine from the car for further inspection following the impact, with Leclerc reverting to an older specification in Madrid.
Off-track, talks between Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and team boss Fred Vasseur also appear to have eased the fallout from Monza.
Hamilton said he and Leclerc spoke privately and directly.
"We sat face-to-face, just him and I, and talked about it and we were just both open and honest," he said in Madrid.
"We squashed it and we can move on."
Leclerc also accepted responsibility for going "too far" in their opening-lap fight.
"But it definitely did not affect the good relationship we have and going forward," said the Monegasque.
Hamilton also spoke with Vasseur on Monday.
"Despite differing opinions, we’re finding a way forward together," said the seven time world champion.
However, the written rules of engagement Hamilton called for after Monza have not yet been introduced.
"No," Hamilton said clearly.
"The focus is currently on the upcoming weekend, to perform better. You can’t change something this profound in a week."
Toto Wolff, whose own drivers came close to contact late at Monza, said there is no simple solution.
"Finding the right balance is really difficult because you want to have a lion in the car that won’t give an inch, but at the same time you want these guys to also be able to think about the team," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Meanwhile, Vasseur says Ferrari’s engine program is looking toward another step for 2027.
"We’ve now planned a new engine for next year - the 2027 ADUO-1 - and, of course, our goal is to close the gap as quickly as possible," he said.