Toto Wolff comments on Charles Leclerc following Mercedes-incident heavy Dutch GP for Ferrari driver

Toto Wolff has weighed in on Charles Leclerc following the incident involving the Ferrari driver and George Russell at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Mercedes team boss detailed how he did not want Leclerc to be handed a grid penalty for the next race, especially following his abrupt end to the race at Zandvoort.

Leclerc had witnessed his race come to an end after being clattered into by Kimi Antonelli on the 53rd lap of the race. However, prior to that race-ending moment, the Scuderia Ferrari driver was involved in a gritty move with Russell, where he forced his way past the Mercedes driver in a battle for fifth place.

The overtake by Leclerc would translate to Russell suffering damage to his car, an incident which would be noted by the stewards. Following the conclusion of the Zandvoort race, Wolff, who spoke to the media, detailed how the Mercedes team opted against pressing for further sanctions for Leclerc, especially considering how the Ferrari team's race had shaped out.

"We don‘t want Charles Leclerc having a grid penalty for Monza because of the way he lost his race with one of our cars.”

“…on the other side I don't think that was an overtaking spot on the left side, you can try to squeeze but you know that‘s never going to go, on that sense I would rather say that was Charles's fault."

While Charles Leclerc had escaped further sanctions for the incident involving Russell, it did little to alleviate the pain from his Dutch Grand Prix weekend, as the 27-year-old suffered his first DNF of the season following his collision with Antonelli.

Charles Leclerc reflects on his overtake of George Russell

Charles Leclerc also weighed in on his overtake of George Russell during the Dutch Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver explained why he opted for the aggressive move on the Mercedes driver.

Leclerc stressed to the media that the move was indeed on the edge; he doesn't really mind, especially considering both their teams are locked in a constructors’ championship fight.

“It was aggressive, but we’re fighting for a place in the championship, for the Constructors, especially. For the Drivers, I don’t really care, so I’ll always be aggressive like that.

“It was on the limit, but I knew I wouldn’t have many opportunities after that. He defended the inside, I went for the outside, I don’t think he expected me to go for the outside, and then he did the corner just like if I wasn’t there, so then we touched.”

Leclerc was subsequently summoned by the stewards following the incident. However, no further action would be taken on the incident after a review.

Charles Leclerc will now shift his focus to the upcoming Italian Grand Prix - a race he won with a masterfully executed strategy during the 2024 edition of the event.