Charles Leclerc says he wouldn’t have been a✨ble to improve his finishing position at the Canadian Grand Prix despite being unaware of Sebastian Vettel’s time penalty as he was “pushing hard” and unable to make up the deficit.

The Ferrari driver admitted he wasn’t told by his team that Vettel was set to serve a five-second time penalty at the last race in Canada, meaning if he finished within five seconꦺds of his teammate he would have been classified ahead of the German driver.

By the chequered flag Leclerc finish💝ed just six seconds behind Vettel in third place, effectively meaning if he had bridged a one-second gap he would have taken𒊎 second place in Montreal ahead of his teammate, but the Monegasque driver played down the incident by saying he was giving his all in the race to close the gap regardless.

“At the end I was pushing hard. Nothing will havᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe changed,” Leclerc said.

“In the race th🥂e performance was very strong on my side, I was very happy with it. But in qualifying unfortunately I did some mistakes and I think I’ve been actually lucky to start from third position.

“I think I nee🌠d to learn from this, try a꧃nd get better in this particular session and the results will come together.”

Leclerc has also supported Vettel and Ferrari in its request to review the German driver’s penalty from Canada and believes thܫe penalty was unfair.

“I think from the outside it’s pretty clear that Seb lost the control of the car on the grass and then tried to take back the grip on the track,” he said. “There was nothing he could have doဣne differently. I don’t think the penalty waꦆs justified.

“For any driver when you get out of the car and you learn you have a penalty that makesജ you🦩 lose the win you always find it frustrating so I understand [Vettel’s reaction].”

Ferrari is set to provide new evidence to the FIA in aꦅ hearing tomorrow at Circuit Paꦓul Ricard at 2:15pm on Vettel’s penalty at the Canadian Grand Prix.