Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has defended the team`s strategy calls and driver management during the recent Miami Grand Prix, stating that he believes the team ultimately “did a good job,” despite palpable frustration from drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc throughout the race.
During the middle portion of the event, Hamilton requested permission to overtake his teammate Leclerc as he aimed to challenge Mercedes` Kimi Antonelli for sixth position. However, the request was not immediately granted, leading to increasing frustration from the seven-time world champion.
Eventually, after several laps, Leclerc was instructed to move aside, allowing Hamilton through. Despite the opportunity, Hamilton, on medium tyres, was unable to pull away significantly. Consequently, he later allowed Leclerc to regain the position. Hamilton`s frustration was evident on the radio when he sarcastically questioned if he should also let Carlos Sainz in the Williams pass, as the Ferrari pair eventually finished the race in seventh and eighth place.
Following the race, Hamilton revealed he advised Vasseur not to “be so sensitive” during their conversation and firmly stated he would not apologize for his competitive spirit, declaring himself “a fighter.”
Speaking to the media, Vasseur acknowledged the drivers` reactions: “I can understand the frustration of the guys in the cars, but in the end, it was well executed because Lewis was behind Charles with a softer compound. We let him go, and as per our internal rules in the team, we swapped back at the end.”
“We gave Lewis the chance to get ahead of Charles because it was impossible for them to overtake each other without us allowing it, and it presented an opportunity for Lewis to catch Antonelli. I genuinely believe we handled it well,” Vasseur added.
Amidst heated radio exchanges, Hamilton referenced a similar situation in the Chinese Grand Prix where he yielded to Leclerc. At one point in Miami, he notably quipped, “have a tea break while you`re at it, come on!”
“I had a discussion with Lewis, and I can perfectly understand the frustration. They are champions; they want to win races,” Vasseur commented. “Asking them to let their teammate pass is never easy. We took the responsibility to make that call because it`s the team`s policy.”
“We are racing for Ferrari first. Honestly, I think as a team, we did a good job. Of course, we can always debate whether it would have been better to do it half a lap earlier or later,” he continued.
“But when you are on the pit wall, you have to quickly assess if the car behind is faster due to DRS or genuine pace. It`s not a simple decision in the heat of the moment. It`s always much easier to analyze two hours later.”
“We asked them to execute the swap, and they did. Now, the frustration experienced while in the car, I can completely empathize with that. We had a subsequent discussion, and it was much more relaxed,” Vasseur concluded.
Vasseur: Hamilton Can Trust Me
Vasseur and Hamilton share a long history, dating back to the mid-2000s when they worked together in GP2, a feeder series to F1. Vasseur, currently in his third season as Ferrari team principal, reiterated that he has “no issue” with the team order debate or the drivers` emotional responses.
“He [Hamilton] can trust me, and I can trust him. The same applies to Charles,” he stated.
“When I have to make a decision, I am making it in the best interest of Ferrari based on the information available live. It`s not like you have 30 minutes to analyze data. You have to quickly determine if a car is genuinely faster on track or benefiting solely from DRS.”
“Perhaps we were a bit slow, but it took us about a lap or a lap-and-a-half to finalize the decision. When you are the car behind, you always feel you should swap immediately in the next corner. And when you are in front, you naturally ask, `please check if it`s just the DRS effect.` I think the roles were reversed ten laps later,” Vasseur explained, highlighting the dynamic nature of such calls.
Where Are Ferrari in the Pecking Order?
Vasseur was keen to emphasize that the more significant issue highlighted by the Miami weekend was Ferrari`s relative lack of pace, as they finished nearly a minute behind race winner Oscar Piastri.
McLaren`s impressive one-two finish contrasted sharply with Ferrari`s seventh and eighth places, illustrating a significant gap. Leclerc, finishing seventh, was 20 seconds adrift of George Russell in third place. However, Vasseur believes that Ferrari`s race pace was competitive with that of Mercedes and potentially Red Bull; the primary area for improvement lies in their performance during qualifying on new tyres.
“Pace in Miami is tricky when you are stuck in traffic. Our pace was probably comparable to Red Bull and Mercedes,” he suggested.
“I believe McLaren was operating on a different level entirely. We never claimed we could challenge McLaren directly. But from a better grid position, we thought we could have realistically contested with Max [Verstappen] and Mercedes,” Vasseur concluded.
Jenson Button on Hamilton`s frustration:
“They were on a different strategy. The problem is, even just one lap behind damages your tyres. It puts the temperatures up on the medium tyre, you have lost the best of it and you don’t get it back.
“I can see the frustration and this should have been a plan before that race that you decide if the car behind is on softer tyres, you let them past.”
