Vasseur (Ferrari) Thanks Antonelli’s Apology After Crash in Dutch GP

Antonelli Apologizes to Ferrari After Accident at the Dutch Grand Prix

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur received apologies from Mercedes rookie driver Kimi Antonelli after a crash that caused Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari to end up against the wall at the Dutch Grand Prix. Leclerc, who had come out of a pit stop ahead of Antonelli, was hit when the latter tried to overtake on a tight corner. The incident resulted in Leclerc’s car hitting the barrier. Leclerc, who had previously been in a podium position, had to watch the end of the race from a dune next to the track.

He came to apologize to Charles. Charles wasn’t there, but he came to me. And, honestly, I appreciate it. It’s not easy to overtake at Zandvoort. It means you have to take risks. He took a risk. He made a mistake.

Fred Vasseur

Leclerc considered the incident as an honest mistake on a difficult track for overtaking, and did not attribute it to Antonelli’s inexperience.

I wouldn’t describe it as a rookie mistake. I think it’s a mistake that can happen in the first or fifth year. On a track like this, you need to be aggressive [to overtake], but that was too much.

Charles Leclerc

Leclerc crashed into the wall almost in the same place where his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, had had an accident, sliding on a track that had become slippery due to a downpour. It was the first time that neither of the Ferrari drivers scored points since their double disqualification at the Chinese Grand Prix in March. The situation became even more complicated for Ferrari. Hours after the race, Hamilton was penalized with five grid positions for next week’s race in Monza, the team’s home Grand Prix, for not reducing speed sufficiently under yellow flags during the formation lap. Meanwhile, Leclerc avoided a penalty for a collision with George Russell, which was considered a racing incident by the stewards. What seemed like a promising race for Antonelli, who was not in his best form, ended with the Italian outside the points for the seventh time in nine Grands Prix. This was due to a 10-second penalty for colliding with Leclerc and another five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

I felt good in the car and it’s a shame to have lost it. For the contact, obviously, it’s my fault. I tried to avoid it, especially when I saw him coming back in front, but it wasn’t enough. So, obviously, I’m sorry for Charles and for the team and now we move on.

Kimi Antonelli