Leclerc accepts blame for 'stupid' mistake

Charles Leclerc says that he was "so stupid" during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, in which he crashed out.

The Monegasque driver hot the barriers at Turn 8 during Q2 as he was setting a lap on the yellow-walled medium tyre.

The SF90 sustained heavy damage and a distraught Leclerc returned to the Ferrari garage disappointed, and is set to start Sunday's race from tenth on the grid.

"I deserve what happened today," he told Sky F1 after the crash. "I am very, very sad for what happened. But I deserve it. I've been stupid, as I said on the radio.

"I've calmed down but I still think I've been stupid. This doesn't change. I will push to learn from this and come back stronger and hopefully have a good race tomorrow.

"I don't want to say anything stupid but I think looking at FP1, FP2, FP3 and Q1, pole was possible today and I threw all the potential in the bin. So I am very disappointed and I will come back stronger from this."

Leclerc says that he didn't take into account the grip switching from the soft compound to the medium, which is what made him lock up and end up in the wall.

"I braked as much as I did on the soft but I was on the medium, so I locked up," he said. "But again, I don't want it to be misunderstood; there is no problem with the tyres it was just myself. I am very disappointed.

"You can definitely overtake and I will push for that tomorrow, but for the next three or four hours I will just be beating myself up," he added.