Kaltenborn: It was unacceptable behaviour by both drivers

Sauber drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr have apologised to their furious team manager for their silly and avoidable collisions as they fought it out for minor plaings during the Monaco Grand Prix.

Sauber had been asking Nasr to allow Ericsson through, but the Brazilian was playing deaf, which prompted Ericsson to dive bomb his teammate as they entered La Rascasse which resulted in DNFs for both drivers

Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn was furious after the race, “It was unacceptable behaviour by both drivers. Today the work of the whole team ended in a collusion. Marcus and Felipe both know how much work is put into every race weekend. They have the responsibility to make it to the end of the race.”

“After evaluating the overall situation, it was important to bring the fastest car as far as possible to the front, so that we were able to used any chances. Our decision was based on the data from both cars. After this, we have clarified the situation internally and both drivers are aware of their responsibilities. Such an incident will not happen again,” vowed Kaltenborn.

Ericsson explained, “When the tyres started to work, I caught Felipe, but got stuck behind him. I was told that Felipe received a call (to move aside for Ericsson) via the radio. Then I saw a gap and tried to overtake him, but we all saw what then happened.”

“It is a difficult situation for us, and it is even more important to stick together as a team in these times. I apologise, and I am sure that this will not happen again in the future,” he added.

Nasr gave his side of the story, “It is a shame that neither of us finished. It is the worst scenario that can happen for us. Marcus and I were on different strategies, so his second pit-stop was earlier. My tyres started to get up to temperature, and I was catching the cars in front. For me, it was not the right timing to swap positions.”

“Suddenly, in La Rascasse, I felt my car being hit. It is disappointing as the whole team works very hard. I apologise for what happened; we need to make sure that this will never happen again,” concluded the Brazilian.

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