Finger pointed at Charles Leclerc over Carlos Sainz clash - “he was a bit late…”

Charles Leclerc shouldered the responsibility to avoid the clash with Carlos Sainz in Barcelona, says Damon Hill.

The Ferrari teammates were spotted in a frustrated exchange of views in parc farme after last weekend’s F1 Spanish Grand Prix.

Leclerc was unhappy with how Sainz overtook him, insisting both cars should have looked after their tyres, before Sainz accused Leclerc of complaining.

Ex-F1 champion Hill analysed the manoeuvre for Sky Sports: “Charles is on the inside. Carlos is obviously going to sweep around the outside. Neither prepared to yield.

“Charles, I would say, you’ve got to get out of there. And he didn’t.

“He was a bit late getting out of the apex before Carlos hit him.”

Karun Chandhok interjected: “I think it’s just hard racing.”

Hill said: “What, with your teammate?

“They are both responsible for both cars in the race. That could have been both Ferraris out.”

Chandhok: “Yeah, but it wasn’t! They got away with it. I think it’s fine. It’s on the edge. Fred seems nonplussed about that stuff.”

Fred Vasseur, Ferrari team principal, later shrugged off questions about any tension between his drivers.

Ferrari urged on in 'development war'

Bigger problems for Ferrari, ahead of this weekend’s F1 Austrian Grand Prix, is that they finished behind McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in Spain.

Ferrari’s status as Red Bull’s top challengers earlier this season is not currently the case.

Chandhok was asked if Ferrari have fallen behind McLaren in the pecking order.

“They were three tenths off pole,”he responded. “That’s where they are.

“It does seem like they are slipping behind McLaren in outright pace.

“But McLaren was only one car this weekend. Oscar Piastri was three or four tenths behind.

“They are all set. In that mix. They’ve got to find a way.

“Andrea Stella came up with a great line: ‘We have got an ageing car - we updated it in Miami, it is now ageing, we need updates’.

“That’s the game now. Less than two months ago it was a heavily revised car winning in Miami. It’s already deemed ageing by their team boss.

“That’s the game Ferrari have got to play. Keep bringing the bits, keep the development war going.”

Hill said about Ferrari: “It’s alright if you know where you want to get to.

“But if you don’t know where it is? You can’t upgrade it.”