It was super exciting and looked awesome, but it was ultimately a Gran Turismo move. Even with more space, Charles is still using George's car as a brake.

I personally feel this is racing, damage shouldn't decide the outcome either

It has to be considered though. Damage proves without any doubt that there was contact caused.

Watching the replay, Charles seems to be half alongside into the right hander (braking much later), and as Russel turns left he just lets the car drift to the run off. Front right is fully out, rear right is unclear, but when he barges into Russell his front end is out of the track.

He's alongside You leave space, otherwise you're causing yourself damage which is exactly what happened

Doesn't matter. The rules are crap but by those rules it's whoever is ahead, Charles was never even close to being ahead.

You cannot cause yourself damage if there isn't an obstacle to crash into, so no. As to "you leave space", the (silly? sure) rules claim you leave space if the front wheels of the overtaking car are level with the mirrors -- which they only were because Charles came at him from outside the track.

As for the right hander, the same rules claim the car in front needs to leave space it the car on the outside is *ahead*, which Charles wasn't. This will either be a racing incident, or Leclerc gets a (moot now) penalty.

No, a lot of incidents have been caused by the defending car not leaving enough space and as such inflicting themselves damage See Lawson/Sainz earlier this race where Lawsom had no reason to take the racing line on exit

And yet, by the same rulebook, Sainz was never alongside Lawson's front wing, hence the 10 sec penalty for causing a collision. I'm not saying I agree with that rule, but it's one, and if applied consistently we wouldn't be mad at the stewards every single race...

And they deserve that