In a recent statement, Fred Vasseur, head of the Ferrari team, has denied speculation about a strategic divide between his drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, during the Spanish Grand Prix. According to Vasseur, the different tire strategy was not aimed at separating the drivers.
The link between Leclerc and Hamilton has come under scrutiny recently, especially after some incidents on track. At the Zandvoort Grand Prix, Hamilton requested via radio that Ferrari use team orders to overtake Leclerc. Additionally, at the Italian GP, the two drivers collided on the first lap, impacting Hamilton’s performance.
During the qualifying session for the Spanish GP, Hamilton secured fourth position ahead of Leclerc, who came in fifth. At the race start, both drivers opted for completely different tire strategies: Hamilton began on soft tires, while Leclerc chose hard ones.
When asked if this decision was made to avoid a possible clash between the drivers, Vasseur replied that many other teams had made similar decisions and that there was no reason to think about an internal conflict. “Other drivers from different teams also made various tire choices without that implying concerns about collisions,” he stated.
In the race, Hamilton encountered brake problems, forcing him to retire shortly after starting. In contrast, Leclerc continued with the hope that a late safety car would provide him the opportunity to change his strategy with fewer losses. “We could have made many other choices, but I believe that what we did was the best for us,” Leclerc commented.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_07ed23731cf968b486f37970378c702912aba537