Breaking news
Formula 1
Ferrari needs to clarify what's "silly" in Vettel/Leclerc rivalry
Ferrari needs to clarify what is "silly" with Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel following their crash last weekend, but is not interested in repeating Mercedes' past tactics.
Scott Mitchell
Edited: Nov 21, 2019, 4:42 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
After a season that featured tense moments with team orders, Vettel and Leclerc came to blows late in the Brazilian Grand Prix in a collision that took both out of the race.
Team principal Mattia Binotto declared the accident "silly" post-race and is now focused on avoiding a repeat, but dismissed replicating the "rules of engagement" Mercedes employed with its warring pair of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg a few years ago.
"I don't know what Toto [Wolff, Mercedes boss] did," said Binotto. "I don't want to judge. I'm not interested as well.
"But certainly we need to clarify with who is in the team, what is silly and what's not.
"We are at the limit of the actions. But when you have a crash, something was wrong, no doubt. When you're free to fight, you're free to fight and it's only a driving matter how much you can take as a risk.
"But certainly here the risk was not necessary."
Read Also:
- Why Vettel's emotion is now undermining Ferrari
- Ferrari: Timing of Vettel/Leclerc Brazil clash "lucky"
- Binotto labels Vettel/Leclerc clash a "silly action"
Binotto has been keen to manage his drivers this season by employing team orders when deemed necessary and allowing them to race on other occasions.
They had made contact prior to the Brazilian GP, although that was a minor, harmless incident at the start of the Mexican GP when Vettel nerfed the rear of Leclerc on the first lap.
Leclerc's arrival at Ferrari has appeared to destabilise four-time world champion Vettel at times, and Binotto suggested the team could have handled the new pairing differently this year.
He was due to meet with his drivers at the team's headquarters in Maranello this week.
"There is always something you can do better," said Binotto. "But certainly [in Brazil] the mistake was the mistake of the drivers.
"What as a team could we have done better? Not in the heat [of the moment will Ferrari react], but we will think.
"Certainly we need to improve that for the future and that's not to happen anymore."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Mercedes explains Hamilton hybrid derate, causing radio outburst
Next article Red Bull completes first F1 pitstop in zero gravity
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Scott Mitchell
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Formula 1
Formula 1
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Formula 1
Formula 1
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
Formula 1
Formula 1
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
More from
Charles Leclerc
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
17 h
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
Charles Leclerc penalised for Liam Lawson clash; Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also punished after F1 Brazilian GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
Charles Leclerc penalised for Liam Lawson clash; Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also punished after F1 Brazilian GP
More from
Ferrari
What the Brazilian GP revealed about F1's ability to cope with rain
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
What the Brazilian GP revealed about F1's ability to cope with rain
F1 2026 calendar update: Imola GP off the table, no plan B if war escalates
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
F1 2026 calendar update: Imola GP off the table, no plan B if war escalates
Latest news
IndyCar 2026 season review: ECR
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 8 h
IndyCar 2026 season review: ECR
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
9 h
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Renger van der Zande moves to IMSA’s LMP2 class full-time with Tower Motorsports
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 9 h
Renger van der Zande moves to IMSA’s LMP2 class full-time with Tower Motorsports
Nick Sanchez will compete for 2027 NASCAR Truck title with McAnally-Hilgemann
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Homestead
9 h
Nick Sanchez will compete for 2027 NASCAR Truck title with McAnally-Hilgemann
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe