SEBASTIAN VETTEL and Charles Leclerc will be hauled in front of Ferrari’s bosses on Monday to explain their bust-up in Brazil.
The two Ferrari teammates have been at loggerheads all season with team boss Mattia Binotto now forced to step in.
Vettel was left stranded by his punctureCredit: AFP or licensors
The German suffered damage that was terminal for his raceCredit: EPA
In Sao Paulo the two’s simmering relationship exploded, as Vettel crashed into the 21-year-old; leaving them both livid.
The flashpoint happened on lap 66 when Vettel tried to overtake Leclerc. However, the German cut across him and snapped off Leclerc’s front wheel.
Vettel suffered a race-ending puncture as a result in a double-KO for the Italian team.
Binotto will now speak to the at-war duo at their Maranello HQ.
He said: “When doing things in the heat of the moment, you can come to the wrong conclusions.
“I heard both drivers, but they will meet again together with them to discuss what happened and there will be time for the team to analyse all the video and the data.
“It’s not a matter of fining or blaming. We let them race and the reason for that is that we have the second place in the constructors’.
“But free to fight doesn’t mean to do silly actions, especially between the two teammates and the two Ferraris. For me, it was simply a silly action.
Both Ferrari stars were set to challenge for a podium place before the bashCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“What as a team what could we have done better? We need to think, not in the heat [of the moment] but we will think.
“Certainly we need to improve that for the future and that is not to happen any more.”
Leclerc said: “Seb went around the outside, which there was little space but I left the space, he took [it] and then towards the end of the straight, he started to squeeze me a little bit to the inside and we were very close.
“Everything happened very quick and as soon as he went to the inside, we touched and then I had a puncture.”
Vettel dodged TV questions about the incident and added: “I didn’t have much space on the right and obviously had a better run out of Turn Two or Turn Three and I tried to pass, that’s it.
“It’s a shame for the team. Obviously we didn’t finish the race, that has priority.”
The two’s relationship has intensified when Leclerc was frustrated in Singapore when Ferrari gave Vettel the undercut to take the lead and ultimately victory from him.
And at the Russian GP, Leclerc provided the tow for Vettel off the line to help him pass Hamilton before the German refused to give the place back.
Brazilian F1 Grand Prix race – Live stream, start time and TV channel from the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
