Charles Leclerc on Thursday dismissed reports of division and frustration within Ferrari after team-mate Carlos Sainz’s British Grand Prix win last weekend.
Italian media reports had suggested Leclerc’s engineers had boycotted a photo to celebrate Sainz’s maiden Formula 1 win, furious that her husband had lost a strategic win at Silverstone.
Leclerc had been leading the race but was out during a late safety car period as others, including Sainz, looked for fresh, faster tyres.
The Monegasse was no match for them after the restart and finished fourth. He missed a great chance to close the gap on Red Bull leaders Max Verstappen, who finished seventh.
“It’s a shame to see all these things,” Leclerc said at the Austrian Grand Prix when asked about the reports.
“It’s definitely not what happens within the team. We’re a very cohesive team, we always have been, and it’s not these difficult races that will change that.
“Were we disappointed after last weekend? I think we were because we were one-two and finished one-four so part of the team was disappointed. But that definitely wasn’t the reason everyone wasn’t in the picture.”
Leclerc said timing was difficult late in the day and half of the team that stayed for the picture missed the plane home.
“We wanted to take a first picture … but Carlos wasn’t there,” he said. “So we had to postpone everything. But there are no uncomfortable feelings at all.
“Everyone was very happy for Carlos and that’s the feeling in the team.”
Sainz said Leclerc had to participate in anti-doping so they couldn’t attend Ferrari’s post-race drivers’ briefing together as usual.
“As always, he behaved like a gentleman the way he is and the briefing went normally, as it should,” said the Spaniard.
“One of the strengths that we have as teammates and as drivers is the team spirit that we have at Ferrari and we always have those things under control.”