Charles Leclerc was seconds away from a bold plan to go onto the softs late in the Imola race but pulled the plug when his team-mate beat him to it.
Charles Leclerc’s tense radio exchange revealed in unbroadcasted messages
CL: I am boxing.
BB: We need to stay out. We don’t have a tyre that can do to the end.
CL: The softs will be better than that.
BB: It’s 17 laps Charles. 17 laps to the end.
CL: How many laps have my medium [done]?
BB: Medium has 11 laps. These hards are…
CL: Tell me which one. Tell me which ones are the best, these ones are f**ked.
LH: This tyre is good but there’s a long way to go still
RA: 17 laps. Boxing.
LH: How many places am I going to fall back?
RA: Three places
LH: Are you sure? How new or young are their tryes? That’s a lot of people to get by.
RA: And box.
CL: We have a new soft no?
BB: So Hamilton doesn’t want to box, just to let you know.
CL: I don’t care! I don’t care. We are speaking about ourselves.
BB: So you want the soft? We have a new soft. You want a new soft? Tell me now.
CL: Those tyres are not going to restart then so yes.
BB: Box Charles box, open up. Let me know plan for soft.
CL: Why? I haven’t pitted, Lewis has pitted. I’m not going to wait behind and lose more positions anyway.
BB: Okay, now we have to stay out.
CL: Oh of course.