Stewards have deemed that no further action is required against either Ferrari driver for their collision at Formula 1’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel battled for fourth place at Interlagos during the closing stages of an enthralling grand prix, and came to blows along the Reta Oposta.
Leclerc and Vettel both sustained terminal damage, marking Ferrari’s first double retirement since the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix.
Stewards summoned the pair post-race but deemed that “both drivers had the opportunity to avoid or mitigate the incident” and consequently neither was wholly or predominantly at fault.”
“From my side I overtook in Turn 1, I enjoyed this overtake and then in Turn 3 I had to close because I was aware that Seb would try again and he did,” said Leclerc.
“He went round the outside, which there was little space and I left the space he took 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 I had a puncture.”
Vettel explained that “I didn’t have much space on the right and I obviously had a better run out of Turn 2 and tried to pass in Turn 3, that was it.”
Both drivers apologised to Ferrari for the accident.
Ferrari has elected not to make either driver available to the written media, as is its usual protocol, this evening.
