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Vasseur says no point for Leclerc/Sainz to fight in Canadian GP

Frederic Vasseur, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, F1

4 - GP CANADA F1/2023 - DOMENICA 18/06/2023 - credit: @Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

Frederic Vasseur says there was no point in getting Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz into a fight in F1 Canadian GP.

After they found themselves in a good position in F1 Canadian GP, Ferrari told Leclerc on the radio that Sainz will not attack him as they tried to extend their stint in a one-stop strategy to leapfrog the likes of Williams, Alpine and McLaren in the process.

This is why Ferrari did not wished for Leclerc and Sainz to fight and lose time along with tyre performance. “It was not that we want to protect someone, it was just that the strategy at this stage of the race was to push and to avoid to lose time fighting together,” said Vasseur to media.

“Because we were trying to extend and to create the gap with Ocon and Norris perhaps, and to fight together to lose time would have been stupid. It’s better to avoid…and fight is a big way around that. To race together perhaps it’s a first step. They are allowed to race together but in this situation it would have been penalized the car,” summed up Vasseur.

The one-stop strategy eventually worked for Ferrari as Leclerc ended up fourth from Sainz after a difficult qualifying for both the drivers. They finally had a trouble-free run, even though they were behind the leading pack – although not by much.

Throughout the weekend, they looked to be a good shape. “It was a positive Sunday, I think we had a good Friday also,” said Vasseur. “The Saturday was bit more difficult as we discussed this morning, but at the end, it was a good Sunday.

“Now we don’t have to draw conclusion about the situation of the season after one race. You know that Montreal is a bit different, that it’s a lot about kerbing, and the track being green. But it’s true that we are going in the right direction. And I hope that it will also be obvious in two weeks in Austria,” summed up Vasseur.

Here’s Frederic Vasseur on discussions with Charles Leclerc

Here’s Jacques Villeneuve on Charles Leclerc lid saga