Charles Leclerc says Kimi Antonelli ought to have been equally answerable for the preliminary contact with Oscar Piastri that despatched the Ferrari driver out of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Piastri tried to move Antonelli on the within of Flip 1 after the protection automotive restart, however Leclerc fought for second place on the skin for the time being of three-wide. Leclerc remained huge, however Antonelli and Piastri tied on entry into the nook, with the stewards giving Piastri a 10-second time penalty and holding the Australian “absolutely accountable” for the accident.
“I watched from a distance, sitting within the grass a giant display screen,” Leclerc mentioned. “It is too dangerous. You are collateral injury to the incident between Oscar and also you. For my part, you are really simply as accountable as Oscar.
“For me, it is a little bit of a 50-50 affair. Oscar was optimistic and Kimi was taking the nook as if Oscar wasn’t there. Meaning they collided and touched me. It is very irritating contemplating we’re combating for second place within the constructors’ championship and we’re the one ones who have not completed the race. So it’ll be very troublesome to get second place now.”
Lewis Hamilton additionally retired from the race at Interlagos because of crash injury sustained in two separate accidents, leaving Ferrari fourth within the constructors’ championship, 36 factors behind second-placed Mercedes.
“It is a powerful weekend, or not less than a troublesome Sunday,” workforce principal Fred Vasseur mentioned. “We felt that we had been in place because of Charles. He had begin, restart, he took the margin on the (exterior) curb and we’re paying the total value for the crash between Antonelli and Piastri.”
“I do not care who’s at fault, Piastri or Antonelli, however it’s definitely not Charles! And that is troublesome as a result of you’ll be able to’t surrender factors on this match. Giving up factors means giving factors to different gamers as nicely. It is a double penalty, and in our case it is very extreme.”
