Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

How a record 10th WRC title bid was reignited after Ogier vs Neuville epic

Feature
WRC
Rally Greece
How a record 10th WRC title bid was reignited after Ogier vs Neuville epic

How Lindblad has shown that he's found his feet in F1

Feature
Formula 1
British GP
How Lindblad has shown that he's found his feet in F1

Why Verstappen burst out laughing during British GP simulator runs

Formula 1
Austrian GP
Why Verstappen burst out laughing during British GP simulator runs

Marquez held 'informal talks' with Honda before committing to Ducati

MotoGP
Marquez held 'informal talks' with Honda before committing to Ducati

How Russell resorted to "abnormal" driving style to win F1 Austrian GP

Formula 1
Austrian GP
How Russell resorted to "abnormal" driving style to win F1 Austrian GP

Five things we learned from MotoGP’s action-packed Dutch GP

Feature
MotoGP
Dutch GP
Five things we learned from MotoGP’s action-packed Dutch GP

Austrian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2026

Formula 1
Austrian GP
Austrian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2026

Mercedes boss questions Ferrari's "limitless" F1 upgrades amid budget cap era

Formula 1
Austrian GP
Mercedes boss questions Ferrari's "limitless" F1 upgrades amid budget cap era

Onboard gave 'distorted' view of Bottas/Leclerc clash - FIA's Masi

Formula 1 race director Michael Masi says onboard footage of Valtteri Bottas and Charles Leclerc's first lap clash in Hungary offered a 'distorted' view of who was to blame

Bottas was unhappy after the race over what he said was an 'unnecessary' swipe towards him by Leclerc, with the contact having damaged the Finn's front wing and effectively ruined his race.

The incident was looked at by race control but in the end it was decided that neither driver had done anything wrong in the situation.

Masi later explained that it was only an overhead camera shot taken from a helicopter that offered a proper perspective of what happened - and that the indications were that it was Bottas who had moved towards Leclerc.

Asked by Autosport for why it was viewed as a racing incident, Masi said: "There is an element of the first lap side of it, but there is also the other part that, from what I saw, Bottas' front wing hit Charles' rear wheel, looking from the helicopter shot. So, there was nothing in it."

Masi agreed that the onboard footage from Bottas' car made it look like it was Leclerc had moved, but that was not backed up by the overhead camera.

"I think the onboards distort it slightly, but once you get the helicopter shot then it was pretty clear."

Bottas declared after the race that the move was "completely unnecessary" and that it "compromised his race" as he could only recover to eighth after changing the wing.

Leclerc said that he "felt a small touch", but that he "didn't really know what happened".

Previous article Perez: Unseen Albon clash over F1 Hungarian GP point unnecessary
Next article How a Mercedes "bad call" checkmated Verstappen

Top Comments

Latest news