The two Ferrari drivers made contact on the first lap of the Chinese Grand Prix, resulting in damage to Charles Leclerc’s car.

On the opening lap of the Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc made contact, resulting in downforce-reducing damage to Leclerc’s car.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc make contact

The two Ferrari drivers both capitalised on Max Verstappen’s wider line through Turn 1 to pounce on the Red Bull driver, with Lewis Hamilton getting past through the long right-hander before Leclerc got ahead just into the apex of Turn 2.

But the differing lines resulted in the two Ferraris converging at the apex, and a slide from Leclerc after clipping the kerb on the inside led to him clouting the right-rear corner of Hamilton’s car.

With the left-side endplate knocked off Leclerc’s car, he was told over team radio that the damage cost him some 20-30 points of downforce and the aim is to make it to the first pitstop before making any possible change.

Hamilton radioed in to say he had been “hit by someone”, seemingly unaware that it was his teammate, but otherwise seemed unharmed by the contact.

The British driver, who won the Sprint race on Saturday, circulated in fourth behind the leading McLarens and the Mercedes of George Russell ahead of Leclerc, who – despite the damage – was able to stay close behind Hamilton through the first stint.

Analysing the incident on Sky F1, David Croft said Hamilton “squeezed Leclerc”, to which Martin Brundle replied: “So what happened is Leclerc got on the kerbs, and it just literally bounced him sideways.

“He had to do some counter-steering and Lewis was on the traditional line through there, such a super-late apex. But, one of those first-lap, normal kind of incidents.”

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