Charles Leclerc had admitted he would have been as aggressive as Max Verstappen was at the start of the United States Sprint at the Circuit of The Americas.
Leclerc started second alongside Verstappen on the front row, with the pole-sitter sweeping across the track to hold on to the advantage on the run to the opening corner.
That saw the Ferrari pilot forced off the inside of the track, and narrowed the angle of Turn 1 such that he subsequently lost out to Lewis Hamilton on exit.
“To be honest, I would have done exactly the same if I was in his position,” Leclerc confessed.
“It’s on the limit but I’ve always said in the past that’s the way I like to fight.
“So this today didn’t play out my way but that’s fine, it’s part of racing and I’m happy with it.”
The scuffle between Leclerc and Verstappen off the line was good news for Hamilton, who was able to jump from third to second as a result, holding the spot throughout the Sprint.
Having taken a wider line through the corner, owing to his own battle with Lando Norris, Hamilton had a run as the field plunged down the hill for the first time.
“It was very tight into Turn 1. Unfortunately, lost momentum by fighting Max, and Lewis will get alongside me,” Leclerc recounted of his battle to hold on to second.
“I still tried around the outside of Turn 2, which was quite tricky with cold tyres, and then getting into Turn 3 there was no way for me to keep going without colliding with Lewis, so I just lift off.”
However, while the leading two battled into the opening turn, Hamilton’s attentions were focused on Norris.
“Honestly, I couldn’t see him,” the seven-time champion said when asked if he was pleased to see Leclerc squeezed on the run to Turn 1.
“Going into the corner I had one of the McLarens alongside me, so that’s all – I was just trying not to have a repeat of last race.
“Then, all of a sudden, I seemed to come out of the corner, then I saw Charles there and I was just hoping I was able to pull up alongside him and race him.
“We were racing all the way down to Turn 3 which, he was in my blind spot, so I was a little bit worried at that point.”
Hamilton made the move stick and soon challenged Verstappen for the lead, though that was soon extinguished as the Red Bull driver stamped his authority on the 19-lap affair.
It left Hamilton in a lonely second and Leclerc a lonely third in an encounter that, for a brief moment, promised to be a nail-biter but ultimately proved to be a procession.
