Charles Leclerc denies he was rebuked and gagged by Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto immediately after the chequered flag at Sunday’s British GP. Obviously furious with Ferrari’s strategy calls that ultimately left teammate Carlos Sainz to win his first Formula 1 race, Leclerc was on the receiving end of Binotto’s wagging finger before he spoke to the media. “He wanted to cheer me up, that’s all,” Leclerc, whose points deficit to Max Verstappen only diminished to 43 points amid his Red Bull rival’s own problems on Sunday, said of the Binotto dressing-down. “It was simply to tell him ‘I understand your disappointment, but you did a fantastic race today’. My teammate had his first Formula 1 race win and this is a special occasion,” he added.

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