Peter Windsor concerned by three words Charles Leclerc used on Ferrari radio at Las Vegas Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc was left frustrated after the Ferrari driver missed out on a podium at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The Monegasque driver was impressive at the 2023 iteration of the race as he battled hard to beat Sergio Perez for second, with the almost unstoppable Max Verstappen taking the win.

But Leclerc was unable to replicate his success in 2024 as he finished fourth behind teammate Carlos Sainz and both Mercedes as they registered their first one-two finish in two years.

Leclerc jumped from fourth to second after the first corner as he passed Sainz and Pierre Gasly to challenge George Russell for the lead. But he was overtaken by his teammate before the first pit stops after his tyres dramatically lost performance.

The 27-year-old was allowed back past Sainz later in the race, but he was then undercut by the Spaniard at the final pit stops. Leclerc was unable to get back past his teammate and had to settle for fourth.

Peter Windsor saw a ‘bad sign’ from Charles Leclerc’s explosive rant after the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Leclerc was left furious over his Ferrari radio after the race, telling his race engineer that he was fed up with ‘being the nice guy’ among other strong statements.

In response to his angry messages, Ferrari pointed out two errors Leclerc made that cost him the race as he pushed Russell for one more lap than instructed, forcing him to pit early.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Furthermore, his frustrations with Sainz not letting him back through were shut down as Ferrari showed Leclerc that he would not have been in a position to challenge Lewis Hamilton for second.

But the Monegasque driver’s anger was clear to see, and Peter Windsor was left concerned by his comments about being ‘the nice guy’.

Speaking on the Cameron Cc YouTube channel, Windsor highlighted that Leclerc should not pay attention to things said about him and just focus on his racing.

“Already there’s a bad sign, because within the rant he said something like: ‘I’m fed up with being the nice guy’ or something like that. That isn’t his problem”, he said.

“His problem is thinking about it and being aware of it. It’s not being the nice guy, because the opposite is: ‘Oh I’m going to be the bad guy now.’ That’s not the solution.

“The solution is to be the guy who isn’t a guy. He’s just a racing driver and nothing else like Max Verstappen, and not to listen to the press, not to read anything that’s written about him. Not to get onto social media, not to have a profile, just be a racing driver. He can do all that other stuff when he retires.”

Ferrari are battling McLaren and Red Bull for the Constructors’ Championship

Leclerc cannot afford to ruin another race if he is to help Ferrari deliver their first piece of silverware since 2008. The Maranello squad find themselves second in the Constructors’ Championship, sandwiched in between McLaren and Red Bull heading into Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Ferrari put a dent into McLaren’s lead by finishing third and fourth in Las Vegas while Norris and Piastri managed sixth and seventh. The Italian outfit now sit 24 points behind their rivals, while Red Bull are 29 further back in third.

With two Grand Prix and a Sprint race left to go, there are still plenty of opportunities for Ferrari to steal the lead from McLaren and grab the title.

But they will need to put the drama of Las Vegas firmly behind them if they are to take the fight to the Woking-based squad around the fast-paced Losail and Yas Marina circuits.