Ferrari’s boss, Frederic Vasseur, believes his team “did a good job” despite Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc feeling their disappointment during Miami’s Grand Prix.
Hamilton sought to cross the Leclerc team friend during the middle of the race as he tried to capture Mercedes’s Kimi Antonelli for the sixth, but was not allowed immediately.
He was increasingly frustrated before Leclerc stayed aside after a few laps, but could not retire on his middle tires.
The seven -time world champion then allowed Leclerc to return from and sarcastically asked if he also had to allow Williams of Carlos Sainz to pass, with the Ferrari couple finally ending the seventh and eighth.
Hamilton revealed that he told team director Ferrari Vasseur not to “be so sensitive” when he spoke to him after the race, and said he would not apologize for “being a warrior”.
Vasseur said Sky Sports F1: “I can understand the boys’ disappointment in the cars, but ultimately it was well executed because Lewis was behind Charles, with a softer complex, we left it to go and according to our internal rules on the team, we were exchanged at the end.
“We gave Lewis the opportunity to go before Charles because it was impossible to overcome between them if we don’t let them go and it was an opportunity for Lewis to catch Antonelli. I think we did a good job.”
Among the exchanges of Feisty Hamilton Radio brought the Chinese Grand Prix when he moved to Leclerc, and at one point he said “Make a tea break while you are in it, come on!”
“I’ve had a discussion with Lewis and I can understand the frustration perfectly. They’re champions, they want to win competitions,” Vasseur said.
“We’re asking them to leave their teammate. It’s not easy, it’s never easy. We took the responsibility to do it because it’s team policy.
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Main points of Miami’s Grand Prix
“We are racing first for Ferrari. Honestly, I think as a team we did a good job. Again, we can argue that it would be better to make it half a lap before or half a lap later.
“But when you are on the wall of the pit you have to understand whether the car is back is faster because of DRS or not. It’s not an easy call. It’s always much easier to do it two hours later.
“We asked them to do it. They did it. Now disappointment when you’re in the car, I could understand this perfectly. We had a discussion and was much calmer.”
Vasseur: Hamilton can trust me
Hamilton and Vasseur have known each other since the mid-2000s at GP2, which was the Motorsport champion under F1.
Vasseur, who is in his third season as the director of the Ferrari team, reiterated that “there is no problem” with Sunday’s team’s order or reaction of his drivers.
“He (Hamilton) can trust me, I can trust him. The same with Charles,” he said.
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Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc discuss Ferrari’s strategy during GP Miami
“When I have to make a decision, I’m making a decision for Ferrari with the element you have (to make it) to live.
“It’s not that you have 30 minutes to see the data. You need to decide which is the fastest track, whether it comes from DRS or not.
“Maybe a little slow, but we loved a lap or a half-and-half to make a decision. You always, when you are behind, have the feeling that you have to change in the next corner.
“And when you’re ahead, you say,” Please take a look if it’s not the DRS effect. “I think it was the opposite situation 10 laps later.”
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Sky F1 Ted Kravitz reflects on all the big points of conversation by Miami’s Grand Prix
Where are Ferrari in Peking order?
Vasseur was inclined to point out that the “biggest story” was the lack of Ferrari’s rhythm after they ended up almost a minute after the winner of the Oscar Piastri race.
One two-two of Ferrari’s seventh and eighth McLaren has placed 152 points in front of the Italian team after only six events.
Leclerc, in the seventh, was 20 seconds after George Russell in the third, but Vasseur believes Ferrari had the rhythm of Mercedes and Red Bull in race and should work on their performance in new tires.
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Charles Leclerc felt there was something with Ferrari after qualifying for the eighth for GP Miami
“The rhythm in Miami is difficult when you have stuck in the package. The rhythm probably matched Red Bull and Mercedes,” he said.
“I think McLaren was on another planet. We never said we could have fought McLaren. But with a better position, we thought we could fight with Max (Verstappen) and Mercedes.”
The European F1 season begins with Grand Prix Emilia Romagna on May 16-18, live in Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – without contract, cancel at any time
