Leclerc moves forward after 'clearing the air' with Perez

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Charles Leclerc swiftly brushed aside his rage and furor over Sergio Perez's defensive driving in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix after clearing the air with the Mexican.

Leclerc attempted twice in the second half of the race at the Red Bull Ring to drive around the outside of Perez, only for the Red Bull driver to open up his exit and drive his Ferrari rival off the track.

Perez was hit with a five-second penalty for his first maneuver at the Red Bull Ring's Turn 4 but hadn't served the sanction when he was handed a second five-second penalty for wrongly fending off Leclerc a second time.

The Red Bull driver who went on to finish the race P6, two spots ahead of Leclerc, apologized to the Monegasque, insisting he had felt comfortable with himself after the pair of clashes.

For Leclerc, it was water under the bridge when all was said and done, even as some compared the incidents with his on-track clash with Max Verstappen at the Red Bull Ring two years ago when he was leading the race.

"Let’s say this one is a little bit different," he said. "Because you can argue two years ago, I was not in front at the apex, or we were very close at least.

"But this year I was definitely in front at the apex. He had to leave a space on the exit. I think he knows he over-stepped it a little bit."

Read also: Clashes with Leclerc 'not the way I like to race' - Perez

Leclerc said that he had appreciated Perez's apologetic attitude after the race.

"We spoke with Checo, he apologised straight away after the race," said the Ferrari charger.

"It’s fine, I’m not the type of guy who is staying on it for so long. So the air is cleared and I’ll go forward.

"I feel like this one was obviously a little bit different, the consequences were different for me, there were gravels, not tarmac, and I was also in front at the apex round the outside.

"So normally you need to leave the space."

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Michael Delaney