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.

With no fresh mediums or hards left, Leclerc and engineer Bryan Bozzi were faced with a choice of staying out on dying mediums or fresh softs during the safety car period.

Charles Leclerc’s tense radio exchange revealed in unbroadcasted messages

The late break in proceedings caused a rethink across the grid with teams debating whether a cheap pit stop would be worth it, while there were those like Leclerc who were left to wonder what to do as they had already used their planned tyres.

With the medium and hards being the clear favoured choice of rubber, Leclerc and his engineer argued about using new softs instead.

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.

While this was going on, team-mate Lewis Hamilton was debating with his engineer Riccardo Adami about their plan.

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.

But clearly there was a miscommunication in the Ferrari team as Bozzi tried to convince Leclerc to stay out because that is what Hamilton wanted to do.

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.

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CL: Those tyres are not going to restart then so yes.

BB: Box Charles box, open up. Let me know plan for soft.

Leclerc then proceeds to drive by, having spotted Hamilton going into the pits.

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.

In the end, Leclerc finished sixth while Hamilton come home in fourth.

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