12/07/2020
NEWS STORY
An already difficult weekend for Ferrari went from bad to worse when Charles Leclerc took out his teammate on the opening lap of the Styrian Grand Prix.
Starting from fourteenth, having failed to make it to Q2 and then handed a grid penalty for impeding Daniil Kvyat. Leclerc saw an opportunity to make up places as early as Turn 3 of the opening lap when he tried to go through on the inside of his teammate.
However, Sebastian Vettel, who had cars on his outside, had nowhere to go and consequently the pair clashed.
The German, having lost his rear wing - which necessitated the deployment of the safety car - headed back to the pits to retire, while Leclerc, who also pitted, continued for a couple more laps before he too was forced to call it a day.
"Excuses are not enough in times like this," he told Sky Sports F1, "and I'm just disappointed in myself. I have done a very bad job today. I have let the team down.
"I can only be sorry," he added, "even though I know it's not enough. I hope I learn from this and will come back stronger for the next races.
"It's a tough time for the team," he admitted. "We don't need that. The team don't need that. I put all the efforts of the team in the bin. I'm very sorry, but it's not enough."
"I was fighting two other cars," added Vettel, "we were already three cars into turn three, and I was very surprised. I was not expecting Charles to try something. I don't think there was any space.
"A big pity and something we should avoid," he continued, "but not much I could have done differently. I was taking it easy and conservative because it was already very busy and tight.
"I don't think there was space, that's why we collided."
"It's a pain to conclude a race in such a way," said team boss, Mattia Binotto. "I think it's the worst conclusion of a very bad weekend for us... I think it's not the time to look for responsibility or accuse, it's time to work united."
Check out our Race Day gallery from Spielberg, here.