Ferrari “confident” about outcome of Leclerc/Verstappen clash

Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto believes Max Verstappen is in line for a post-race penalty after an incident with Charles Leclerc during the Austrian Grand Prix.

Erstwhile leader Leclerc clashed with Verstappen at Turn 3 as the pair duelled it out for the lead, after Verstappen had dived up the inside of the corner.

Verstappen and Leclerc brushed wheels at the apex of the corner, sending Leclerc wide and off-track, while the Red Bull driver assumed the lead and went on to claim victory.

The incident is under investigation and both drivers have been summoned to see the stewards at 1800 local time (1700 BST).

Speaking about the incident to Sky Sports, Binotto said: “Firstly it was a great race of Verstappen no doubt, a great race of Leclerc.

“It has been a fantastic fight on track but the regulations and rules are clear for the moment, and I think it’s not a matter after Canada that we should change the approach.

“The regulation is causing a collision or forcing a car off track, I think both of the situations are there.

“It’s under investigation and we are confident of the result, it’s a shame somehow for the podium, but we trust the work of the stewards.”

While Binotto felt the racing was ultimately fair and reckons it would be a shame to ruin the spectacle of the race with a post-race penalty, he believes the nature of the regulations makes it clear that Verstappen should be penalised.

"We should let them race,” he explained. “It’s something that we need to change for the future and I appreciate that and we all agree on that.

“But as a matter of the current regulations, they do not permit such an action. We wait for the stewards decision.”

Asked if only clean DRS-assisted passes are now acceptable, Binotto replied: “At the moment it’s like that.”