Fred Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, has clarified why the team instructed Charles Leclerc to give way to Lewis Hamilton during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Despite being ahead after their sole tire stops, Leclerc was asked to let Hamilton through to help the latter attempt a pass on Lando Norris.
Hamilton finished the race in eighth place, just ahead of Leclerc, who had started on medium tires. Hamilton, on the other hand, used hard tires, which provided a slight advantage in Baku.
“We had a clear situation, with Lewis having a tire advantage,” said Vasseur. “We asked Charles to let him go, hoping Hamilton could overtake Norris ahead.” However, Hamilton struggled to pass Norris and could not make the move, despite the team’s efforts to give him a tactical advantage.
Strategy Behind Team Orders
Vasseur elaborated on the reasoning behind the team orders, explaining, “Charles had recovery issues, and we’re not at the top on the engine side. It was the best option for us to make the move.” The strategy aimed to allow Hamilton to take advantage of the tire difference, though it didn’t work out as planned. A second team order came on the final lap to reverse their positions. Hamilton dropped back to comply but ended up finishing just 0.4 seconds ahead of Leclerc.
“We asked to swap back, and it looks like Lewis had a misjudgment on the start-finish line positioning,” Vasseur added. There was no indication that Leclerc was upset about finishing in ninth rather than eighth.
Impact of Qualifying on Ferrari’s Weekend
The result from Baku saw Ferrari drop behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship, with Mercedes now leading by four points. However, Vasseur emphasized that Ferrari’s troubles began in Qualifying, not during the race itself. “If we lost something, it was yesterday, not today,” Vasseur stated, reflecting on the dramatic events of Saturday’s session, where Hamilton exited in Q2 and Leclerc suffered a crash in Q3.
Vasseur continued, explaining, “Lewis had good pace throughout the weekend. But in Q2, he was off the pace. If he had made it into the top four, I believe he would have finished on the podium.”
Optimism Despite Challenges
Despite the tough weekend in Baku, Vasseur remains optimistic about Ferrari’s potential moving forward. “We need to do a better job collectively. Finishing P12 is not what we expect. But the pace in recent races has been good. We’re getting there,” Vasseur stated.
While Ferrari’s potential is clear, the team principal stressed the importance of execution: “It’s about execution. We need to deliver the results we’re capable of.”
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