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Marko: Leclerc 'playing his part' in Ferrari tensions

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko says Charles Leclerc is just as responsible as Sebastian Vettel for the tensions that have arisen at the Scuderia in the past few races.

Last weekend's Russian Grand Prix was marked by Vettel's defiance of team orders in the first part of the race, the German refusing to give back the lead to his teammate in spite of a pre-race agreement between the two drivers that called for a swap of positions.

Ultimately, a favorable undercut for Leclerc instigated by the Scuderia and a reliability issue for Vettel resolved the internal bicker, although Ferrari painfully lost out to Mercedes in the end.

Brawn: Leclerc/Vettel rivalry 'potentially explosive' for Ferrari

Reflecting on the events from last weekend, Marko believes Leclerc was the one who induced Vettel's reluctant attitude in Russia.

"If Vettel didn’t stick to the rule at Sochi, then Leclerc didn’t stick to the rule in Monza," argued the Austrian, speaking to Servus TV.

"He was supposed to give Vettel a slipstream in qualifying. He’s definitely playing his part in the tension."

Marko was also unimpressed with Ferrari's team tactics, the fairness of which were questioned by the Red Bull motorsport boss.

"Vettel was ahead, so Leclerc complained and then the engineer said: 'Don’t worry, we’ll fix it with the pitstop'.

"What that means is 'we’ll manipulate the pitstop'. That’s unfair and it’s not sport.

"The whole situation is difficult enough for Ferrari, so why worsen it by consciously playing the drivers against one another?"

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.