Ferrari defends Lewis Hamilton strategy at Silverstone as Fred Vasseur explains controversial late-race call
Ferrari celebrated a memorable victory at the British Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc, but the race could easily have ended with an even bigger result. For much of the afternoon, the Scuderia appeared on course to secure an impressive one-two finish before a late Safety Car period dramatically altered the strategic picture.
Lewis Hamilton ultimately lost second place to George Russell in the closing stages after making an additional pit stop, prompting plenty of discussion among Formula 1 fans over whether Ferrari had made the correct tactical decision. Following the race, Team Principal Fred Vasseur explained why the team believed pitting Lewis Hamilton remained the safest and most logical option despite the disappointing final outcome.
Safety Car created a difficult strategic dilemma
The decisive moment came after Max Verstappen’s retirement triggered a late Safety Car deployment. At that stage, Ferrari faced a complicated strategic scenario with very little time to react.
Lewis Hamilton did not have a sufficient gap over George Russell to make a pit stop and comfortably retain second position. Meanwhile, the Mercedes driver was perfectly placed to benefit from what effectively became a free stop for fresh tyres.
Had Ferrari decided to leave Lewis Hamilton on track, Mercedes almost certainly would have called George Russell into the pits for a fresh set of soft tyres, creating a significant tyre advantage if the race resumed for a final sprint to the finish.
Ferrari therefore opted to pit the Briton, aiming to protect itself against that possibility and give its driver the fastest available tyre should racing restart before the chequered flag.
Mercedes chose a different approach
Once Ferrari committed to bringing Lewis Hamilton into the pits, Mercedes immediately changed its strategy.
Instead of covering Ferrari’s move, George Russell stayed on circuit using his worn medium tyres, gambling that the Safety Car period would last until the end of the Grand Prix. That decision ultimately proved to be the winning strategy. Because the race was never fully restarted, George Russell kept track position despite having significantly older tyres, while Lewis Hamilton was unable to exploit the performance advantage offered by his fresh rubber.
The situation became even more frustrating when FIA procedures delayed the possibility of a final racing lap.
Fred Vasseur stands by Ferrari’s decision
Speaking after the race, Fred Vasseur defended Ferrari’s tactical call, explaining that the team had based its decision on the expectation that the race would restart before the finish.
The Ferrari Team Principal acknowledged that different opinions were possible but maintained that leaving Lewis Hamilton on old tyres against George Russell on fresh soft tyres would have represented an even greater risk. Fred Vasseur also admitted Ferrari had expected the Safety Car procedure to end earlier. Instead, the neutralisation lasted longer than anticipated, preventing Lewis Hamilton from taking advantage of his superior tyre condition during a final sprint.
According to the Ferrari boss, although the result was disappointing, he would make exactly the same strategic decision if faced with the identical circumstances again.
FIA communication added further controversy
The closing laps became even more controversial after the FIA later acknowledged a communication issue during the Safety Car procedure.
Under the regulations, lapped cars first needed to rejoin the queue before the Safety Car could return to the pits, delaying any potential restart. That sequence effectively removed Lewis Hamilton’s opportunity to challenge George Russell despite holding a significant tyre advantage on fresh soft tyres.
Had the race resumed for even a single competitive lap, Ferrari’s strategy may have been viewed very differently.
Lewis Hamilton saw the situation differently
Although Fred Vasseur remained convinced Ferrari had made the correct tactical call, Lewis Hamilton offered a different perspective after climbing out of the car.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion explained that the team had instructed him to pit, leading him to believe the stop would allow him to retain second position.
Lewis Hamilton indicated that, had he known beforehand the stop would almost certainly cost him track position to George Russell, he would have preferred to remain on circuit instead. The contrasting opinions between driver and team principal underline just how finely balanced strategic decisions can become during late-race Safety Car situations, where teams must react within seconds while trying to predict several possible scenarios.
Despite missing out on a Ferrari one-two finish, the Silverstone weekend still represented a major step forward for the Scuderia. Charles Leclerc’s victory confirmed the competitiveness of the SF-26, while the strategic debate surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s race has become one of the most talked-about moments following the British Grand Prix.
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