Bottas, Leclerc defend trips to Monaco

Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas won the season-opening race in Austria. Reuters

Valtteri Bottas and Charles Leclerc defended making trips home to Monaco after Formula One's season-opening race in Austria last weekend, despite teams operating in a 'bubble' due to COVID-19.

The Mercedes and Ferrari drivers were back with their teams at the Red Bull Ring on Thursday ahead of this weekend's Styrian Grand Prix on the same track where they finished first and second respectively on Sunday.

Bottas told reporters in a video news conference that he had sought permission to go with his girlfriend, Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, who had also been at the race.

"Obviously I found out if it’s allowed to go back, and yes it is," said the Finn.

"And of course it doesn’t really make a difference if I stay with the same people in the same bubble whether I’m here or back home in Monaco.

"I just wanted to spend those three full days at home. I thought it was very nice, I feel very much recharged for the weekend... from a safety point of view there's no difference at all. Still with the same people I will be dealing with here."

Leclerc's absence could lead to Ferrari being warned about respecting the COVID-19 protocols.

Charles Leclerc
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. Reuters

Television images last weekend also showed the Monegasque's German teammate Sebastian Vettel talking to Red Bull bosses in the paddock without a face mask.

The governing FIA's COVID-19 code states that any time spent outside the closed venue "must be spent with other members of the same group, keeping interaction with persons outside that group to a minimum."

Media reports referenced images on social media showing Leclerc with friends in Monaco.

"I’ve been tested twice before coming back. So in two days, testing twice, both negative obviously. That’s it," he said. "I went back home for two days and then did two tests to be sure of the results."

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.