Jean-Eric Vergne will have to dig into his own pockets after Valencia. The rookie Frenchman was given a ten-position grid drop for Silverstone after oddly jinking before crashing into Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen on Sunday and then speeding back to the pits with a disintegrating Toro Rosso.
The incident caused the race director to call a safety car period, whilst stewards ruled that a EUR 25,000 fine was also in order for Vergne due to "the serious nature" of the indiscretion. "What he did was not acceptable and it was his fault," former Toro Rosso team co-owner Gerhard Berger told Austrian Servus TV on Wednesday.
Christian Horner, the boss of Red Bull's senior team, said it is likely 22-year-old Vergne will have to pay the fine himself. "If it's the driver's fault, he has to pay the money," the Briton, who works closely with Vergne's boss Dr Helmut Marko, said. "But if, for example, a driver is too fast in the pitlane because his limiter is not working properly, then probably the team will pay the fine. Jean-Eric will probably have to reach into his own pockets for this one," added Horner.
The French publication Business Book GP 2012 lists Vergne's estimated 2012 salary at EUR 400,000. (GMM)
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