After a dominant Sprint Race, the Tifosi hoped to relive the same excitement in the race. However, the Chinese GP told a different story, with Ferrari, according to Frederic Vasseur, achieving the maximum possible result in Shanghai despite a strategy, particularly regarding Lewis Hamilton, that raised some debates.
The two Ferrari drivers finished in the same positions they started, though swapped, with Charles Leclerc finishing in fifth despite significant front wing damage, and Hamilton in sixth after attempting the two-stop gamble.
A strategy that seemed predictable beforehand but turned out to be a risk. The track showed less tire degradation compared to the Sprint, allowing drivers to pit only once.
Fred Vasseur’s words at the end of the race
At the end of the second race of the season, Fred Vasseur commented on Ferrari’s Chinese GP, explaining the strategy with Lewis Hamilton. “We lost half of the front wing in the first lap. I think Charles did a great job given the damage and couldn’t have done much more,” said the Team Principal.
“We need to understand what happened with Lewis. In the Sprint, we were ahead, while in the race, we ended up twenty seconds behind McLaren,” Fred Vasseur added. “But I don’t think there is too much of a gap between us and them.”
Regarding the strategy, the Frenchman explained the decision. “We discussed it with Lewis. We took a risk because we were on the limit, and no one had tried the hard tires. We didn’t bring him in to try and force Max to react. At that moment, we were facing degradation, and it was necessary to pit.” – he pointed out.
Finally, Fred Vasseur commented on the impact of the height changes after the Sprint. “That wasn’t what made the difference. It’s just a matter of millimeters, which doesn’t significantly change the performance.”
