Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has said that it is “pointless to apportion blame” following an incident which saw the team leave the Red Bull Ring with no points in the Styrian Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, as he was in a midfield battle with two other cars on the opening lap. He took the inside line going into to turn three, and did not see his team-mate, Charles Leclerc, who closed the gap, meaning the two were forced to run into to one another.
Vettel sustained serious damage to the rear wing of his SF1000 in the collision and returned to the pits to retire his car. To begin with, things looked more positive for Leclerc, who continued, pitting under the Safety Car. However, he also retired from the race a lap later.
“It is painful, very painful, to see both our cars back in the garage after just a couple of laps. Incidents like this can always happen when you start in the middle of the pack and it’s pointless to apportion blame,” said Binotto.
It had already been a difficult weekend for the team, with running plagued by torrential rain. To make matters worse, Leclerc started in fourteenth position after receiving a three-place grid penalty for impeding Scuderia AlphaTauri driver Daniil Kyvat in the second stage of qualifying.
Binotto added: “It’s the worst possible end to a weekend that was already very disappointing. It’s true we took no real part in the race, but we can’t hide behind the collision that eliminated both cars.
“However, now is not the time for accusations. Instead, we must just get on with our work. Difficult moments can bring out the best in people and I’m sure that will be the case now.”
