Charles Leclerc’s sand dune moment at Dutch Grand Prix sparks meme storm, here’s truth behind the phone

The Dutch Grand Prix turned out to be unlucky for Charles Leclerc, whose race came to an unexpected end when his Ferrari was hit by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. After the crash, Leclerc was seen sitting on top of a sand dune at Turn 3 instead of returning to the paddock immediately.

While he arguably had the best seat to watch the race, fans were more intrigued by pictures showing him holding a phone — a curious sight since drivers are not allowed to carry their phones during a race.

Memes target Charles Leclerc for sitting on a sand dune with a phone

Memes of Charles Leclerc sitting on a sand dune in his race suit in the middle of the Zandvoort circuit quickly flooded the internet. Many fans questioned why he had a phone, while some even accused him of breaking the rules by bringing it into the car.However, the mystery has now been solved. A RacingNews365 report revealed that Leclerc actually borrowed the phone from a nearby photographer who was parked there to capture some of the best shots of the race. Journalist Ian Parkes explained in the report, “Charles, obviously, was in a difficult part of the track to get back to the paddock. We saw him almost deck-chair-like, similar to Fernando Alonso a few years back when Fernando crashed out and sat in that deck chair.

There was Charles sitting on top of that sand bank.”

He added, “So, Charles knew the photographer. He asked if he could borrow the mobile phone, and the photographer did him a favor. That’s why we saw those great shots of him sitting on a sand bank, watching the rest of the race unfold.”

Charles Leclerc gearing up for Monza after Zandvoort collision

Later, Leclerc took to Instagram to share a few pictures and his thoughts after the collision, writing, “Not the best start of the second half of the season.

But the overtakes were fun. Onto the most special week of the year, Monza.”Also Read: Toto Wolff stands by Kimi Antonelli after Zandvoort incident, even Charles Leclerc fans approveThe upcoming Italian Grand Prix at Monza is Ferrari’s home race. Both Leclerc and his teammate Lewis Hamilton will aim for a strong result in front of the passionate Tifosi (fans) at the iconic Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The race weekend is scheduled for September 5 - 7 in Italy.