Leclerc answers media's questions after Ferrari 'clear the air' with drivers over Interlagos tangle; Watch the Abu Dhabi GP on Sky Sports F1 this weekend - the final race of the 2019 season
Friday 29 November 2019 06:23, UK
Charles Leclerc says he and Sebastian Vettel must be "less aggressive" when racing each other in future in the wake of their race-ending clash in Brazil.
With Vettel absent from Thursday's media day in Abu Dhabi after the birth of his third child, it was left to Leclerc to explain the outcome of discussions between the team and drivers back at their Italian headquarters last week.
"Very simply, we will give each other more space," the 22-year-old told Sky Sports F1.
"If you look back at the situation, everyone could have done better and all of these things wouldn't have happened.
"But it happened, we analysed the situation and now we make sure it doesn't happen again."
The Ferrari pair collided down Interlagos' back straight as they battled over fourth place in the closing stages of an incident-filled race.
Speaking in Abu Dhabi, Leclerc said although in reflection the contact was "extremely small" it had "big consequences" - and it was clear that it must not be repeated.
Leclerc suggested Vettel knows what he did wrong, but also said he was not completely blameless either.
"I think probably Seb shouldn't have gone to the left and he knows it, I probably could have done a better job of avoiding him going to the left," said Leclerc.
"The most important [thing] is that everything is clear with Seb now and we move forward."
So can the team-mates avoid further clashes?
In their first season together at Ferrari, the Vettel and Leclerc dynamic has proved the most talked about team-mate pairing of the whole season.
With both staying at Ferrari for at least the 2020 season, Leclerc says they must battle in a more measured way for the good of the team.
"Obviously Seb and myself are very competitive," said the Monegasque. "We both want to win, but we need to find the right compromise because we are racing for the same team.
"We need to be less aggressive and give each other more space."
