Where does the assumption come from that LeClerc stays out longer if he was ahead of Piastri?
It did look as if he was trying to bring the tires in a little too gently, which he has been doing since 2022 actually. There used to be a radio call from his engineer about the tires being ready now. (Which is separate bit of ridiculous)
Maybe his real mistake was that, and if he had been more aggressive on the tires, they would have warmed up sooner, and he would have been hassling Verstappen instead of being hounded by Piastri.