Vasseur Appreciates Antonelli’s Apology After Accident at Dutch Grand Prix
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur appreciated the apologies from Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli after an incident at the Dutch Grand Prix that caused Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to crash into the barrier. The accident occurred when Leclerc, after a pit stop, tried to maintain his position ahead of Antonelli. The latter tried to overtake on a tight, banked corner, but touched Leclerc’s rear wheel, sending the Ferrari into the wall. Leclerc, who was previously in a podium position, had to watch the end of the race from a dune.Vasseur added that overtaking at Zandvoort involves risks and that Antonelli made a mistake when attempting the maneuver.He came to apologize to Charles. Charles wasn’t there, but he came to me. And honestly, I appreciate this.
Fred Vasseur
Leclerc’s accident occurred in the same place where his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, had previously suffered a crash in the race. It was the first time that neither of the Ferrari drivers scored points since their double disqualification at the Chinese Grand Prix in March. Antonelli’s promising career, who hasn’t had a good season, ended with the Italian out of the points for the seventh time in nine grands prix. This was due to a 10-second penalty for the collision with Leclerc and another five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.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
The 19-year-old Italian driver added that the contact was his responsibility, and that he tried to avoid it, but it was not enough. Finally, he apologized to Leclerc and the team.I felt good in the car and it’s a shame to have lost it.
Kimi Antonelli
