Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has defended the strategic decisions made during the Miami Grand Prix, stating he believes the team `did a good job` despite frustration voiced by drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during the race.
Mid-race, Hamilton requested permission to pass his teammate Leclerc as he aimed to challenge Mercedes` Kimi Antonelli for sixth position. However, the swap was not immediately approved.
Hamilton became increasingly frustrated before Leclerc eventually moved aside a few laps later. Despite this, Hamilton, running on medium tyres, was unable to build a significant lead.
The seven-time world champion later allowed Leclerc to retake the position. He then made a sarcastic remark on the radio, and the Ferrari duo ultimately finished the race in seventh and eighth place.
Post-race, Hamilton revealed he had told Vasseur not to `be so sensitive` and stated he would not apologize for his competitive nature.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Vasseur explained his perspective: “I can understand the drivers` frustration, but ultimately, the procedure was executed correctly. Lewis was behind Charles, on a softer tyre compound, so we allowed him to pass. As per our team`s internal rules, we swapped positions back at the end.”
“We gave Lewis the opportunity to get ahead of Charles because they couldn`t overtake each other naturally, and this offered Lewis a chance to catch Antonelli. I believe we handled it well,” he added.
Amidst the intense radio communications during the race, Hamilton referenced the Chinese Grand Prix, where he had previously let Leclerc pass, and at one point he sarcastically exclaimed, “Have a tea break while you`re at it, come on!”
Vasseur commented on the post-race discussion: “I spoke with Lewis and fully understand his frustration. They are champions and want to win races. We are asking them to let their teammate through, which is never easy.”
“We took this responsibility because it`s the team`s policy,” he continued. “First and foremost, we race for Ferrari. Honestly, I believe as a team we performed well. Of course, one could argue whether doing it half a lap earlier or later would have been better.”
“However, from the pit wall, you must assess if the following car is faster genuinely or just due to DRS. It`s a difficult call to make in the moment. It`s always much simpler in hindsight. We requested the swap, and they executed it. I completely understand the frustration drivers feel in the car. We discussed it afterwards, and the conversation was much more relaxed.”
Jenson Button on Hamilton`s Radio Frustration
Former F1 driver Jenson Button offered his perspective:
“They were on a different strategy. The issue is that even a single lap stuck behind another car can harm your tires, increasing the temperature on the medium compound and degrading their performance. That potential is lost. I understand the frustration; this situation should have been planned before the race – a pre-agreed decision on whether to let a car on softer tires pass.”
Vasseur: Hamilton Can Trust Me
Hamilton and Vasseur have a long-standing relationship, dating back to the mid-2000s in the GP2 series (a feeder championship to F1).
Vasseur, now in his third season as Ferrari`s team principal, reaffirmed that he has “no issue” with the team order controversy from Sunday or how his drivers reacted.
“He [Hamilton] can trust me, and I can trust him. The same applies to Charles,” Vasseur stated.
He emphasized, “When I make a decision, it`s always for the benefit of Ferrari, based on the real-time information available. You don`t have 30 minutes to analyze data. You have to quickly determine if a car is genuinely faster or just gaining from DRS. It might have seemed a bit slow, but it took us about a lap or a lap and a half to make the call.”
“From the driver`s perspective, when you`re behind, you always feel like the swap should happen immediately,” Vasseur noted. “When you`re ahead, you want the team to verify if the speed difference isn`t just due to DRS. I believe we saw the reverse scenario – drivers feeling differently depending on position – happen later in the race.”
Where Ferrari Stands
Vasseur highlighted that the “bigger story” was Ferrari`s overall lack of pace in Miami, as they finished nearly a minute behind race winner Lando Norris.
McLaren`s strong result in Miami contrasted sharply with Ferrari`s seventh and eighth places, contributing to McLaren`s significant lead in the standings after only six rounds.
Leclerc, finishing seventh, was 20 seconds adrift of George Russell in third. Despite this gap, Vasseur suggested Ferrari`s race pace was comparable to Mercedes and Red Bull, identifying performance on new tires in qualifying as an area for improvement.
“Pace in Miami is challenging when you`re caught in traffic. Our race pace was likely similar to Red Bull and Mercedes,” Vasseur commented.
“I believe McLaren was in a different league that weekend,” he added. “We weren`t expecting to challenge McLaren, but with a better starting position, we thought we could compete with Max Verstappen and Mercedes.”
Marcus Prine