After the race, Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur spoke to Sky Sport F1, offering his assessment of the weekend and addressing the key incidents involving his drivers.
Fred Vasseur’s take on the Zandvoort weekend
“It was a difficult Sunday, but more generally, a difficult weekend. We had a very poor Friday, then made a strong recovery on Saturday in qualifying, and even in terms of single-lap pace we performed well. Today Leclerc’s race pace was strong and in my view good enough to fight for the podium. But overall things went badly. When Lewis had his incident, it happened right after Charles had made his pit stop, which triggered the Safety Car and cost us a couple of positions. As a result, Charles had to repeat the overtake on Russell that he had already completed earlier. So, yes, it was a tough weekend. It all started badly on Friday, and we cannot afford to put ourselves in a position where we have to recover so much ground. We did better on Saturday and Sunday, but the starting point was too far back.”
On Lewis Hamilton’s mistake
Asked whether it was concerning to see a seven-time world champion make such an error, Fred Vasseur replied: “I think he had been behind Russell since the start. Maybe he went too wide into that corner, came in too fast, rode too high, and then lost the car, ending up in the barrier. Overall, I believe he was doing an excellent job this weekend. He played an integral role in the team’s recovery after Friday, and his race pace was strong. But if you want to score points, you need to finish the race.”
On Charles Leclerc’s overtake on George Russell
“Leclerc always fights like a lion in races. His move on Russell was aggressive, but I think George expected Charles to go to the right, while instead he chose the opposite side to attack. I don’t believe Russell actually saw him. Yes, Charles was aggressive, but on this track, if you want to overtake, you need to be aggressive. It’s a very narrow circuit, and if you are not bold, you remain stuck behind. I think it was a great overtaking move. It’s a real shame for him to have driven such a strong race and then end up with a retirement. I don’t think he will be penalized, and if he were, it would be far too severe.”
If there is a penalty, will Leclerc serve it at Monza?
“Probably yes, because he did not finish this race. So if the stewards were to impose a penalty, it would have to be served next weekend at Monza.”
Expectations for Monza
Looking ahead to the Italian Grand Prix, Fred Vasseur remains hopeful: “We expect to be in better shape compared to here. Even if our pace was solid, it was not on the same level as McLaren. It was comparable to Max’s. But for us, it will be very important to start well right from Friday in Monza.”
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