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.