Binotto: Throttle issue did not cause Leclerc crash

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto confirms that Charles Leclerc's crash in Sunday's French Grand Prix was a driver error and not caused by a throttle issue as was initially suggested.

Leclerc had been leading from the start of the race when Red Bull's Max Verstappen went into the pits on lap 16 for a tyre change leaving the Ferrari driver well in control at Circuit Paul Ricard.

But everything changed on lap 18 when Leclerc ran wide on Le Beausset corner to lose grip and spin out, hitting the outside barrier nose first to end his race.

Then over the radio, Leclerc could be angrily heard saying, "I cannot go off throttle," which suggested he was having the same throttle issue that nearly cost him a win at the last race in Austria.

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After the race Ferrari boss Binotto confirmed there was no issue with the throttle, saying: "First there was no issue with the throttle itself, nothing to do with Austria.

"What happened is a genuine mistake of Charles which are things that may happen, and I think they do not take off how good he is as a driver and as a fantastic driver. But it was a genuine mistake.

"What you heard on the radio was about when he was in reverse gear trying to get out from the barriers. There is a strategy, without going into all the details, that [meant] he was on the throttle, but didn't feel sufficient torque from the engine. It was nothing wrong. Simply the strategy there."

A brutally honest assessment by Charles Leclerc on his championship chances ????#FrenchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/57dzh8oHaJ

Binotto added that Leclerc's throttle issue in Austria had been resolved.

"Normally we're not discussing much about details on what's happening, but what happened in Austria is very simple," Binotto