Leclerc Demoted & Ferrari Fined €25,000 After Japan GP Incident

Stewards have handed down their punishment to Leclerc and Ferrari after their collison with Max Verstappen during the Japanese GP.

Leclerc struggled off the line which cost him second place and led to him racing side-by-side with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull through Turn 2 with the pair making contact.

Verstappen was furious with Leclerc, describing his rival’s driving as “irresponsible” after the race. The stewards initially deemed it a racing incident, but subsequently opened an investigation after the race.

Their decision was that Leclerc was “predominantly” at fault and handed the Monegasque a 5 second penalty.

“Car 33 [Verstappen], which was marginally in front, stayed wide and allowed sufficient room to the inside but car 16 lost front grip in the wake of the car in front and abruptly understeered towards the outside of the track, contacting car 33 and forcing it off the track,” said the stewards in a statement.

“While the loss of front grip on car 16 [Leclerc] caused the contact and was not intentional, that loss of grip in close proximity to the car in front should have been anticipated and allowed for by car 16.”

As for Ferrari, the stewards found that the team were guilty of allowing Leclerc to drive a car “in an unsafe conditions” following the collision.

The stewards said: “This piece of wing narrowly avoided an impact in the area of the cockpit of car 44 [Hamilton] and destroyed the right-side mirror of car 44.

“After this second piece detached, the team felt the car was now in a safe condition and despite previously telling the Race Director that the car would be called to the pits, they told car 16 to remain out and not to pit.

“On lap 3 the Race Director called the team and directed the car be brought to the pits for inspection. Car 16 pitted at the end of lap 3.

“By not bringing car 16 into the pits at the end of lap 1, immediately after the incident for a safety inspection when there was damage clearly visible and then by telling the driver to remain out for an additional lap after telling the Race Director otherwise, the team created an unsafe condition on the circuit which only narrowly avoided being a major incident and also increased the likelihood of additional incidents after the one noted.”

As a result, he was given a further 10-second time penalty while Ferrari were fined €25,000. The combined penalty dropped him from sixth to seventh, behind Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo.