Leclerc raced with painkillers for tooth ache

AUSTIN, Texas — Charles Leclerc competed at the U.S. Grand Prix with the help of painkillers after suffering intense pain from a tooth infection all week.

Leclerc claimed pole position on Friday, finished 12th in Saturday’s sprint race and then sixth in Sunday’s main race.

After getting to the end of Austin’s racing schedule on Sunday the Monaco native revealed he has been dealing with an issue all week.

“I had a tooth infection inside,” Leclerc said. “I think it’s the wisdom tooth. I was quite a lot in pain Thursday, Friday, then it calmed down. Today it was OK.”

Leclerc, who did not know whether he would need the tooth removed, said pain levels had fluctuated through the week.

“I’ve been on really big painkillers since Thursday. For some reason now it’s actually quite fine, as I took painkillers before the race,” he said Sunday evening. I’ve had times that were quite intense and others that was less, but nothing that affected me inside the car.”

Austin’s race is the first of a triple header, with events in Mexico and Brazil to follow over the next two weeks.

There is then a week off before a double header, which starts with the new Las Vegas Grand Prix and concludes with the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.