Fred Vasseur defends Charles Leclerc: “Pushing wasn’t a mistake, it’s part of the game” | 2023 Dutch GP. The Ferrari boss defends Charles.

Zandvoort, Charles Leclerc hits the wall: Fred Vasseur defends him
Given the potential that the Ferrari had this afternoon, aiming for a second row was challenging. However, Charles Leclerc seemed capable of getting closer than Carlos Sainz did: the incident at turn 9 that sent the Monegasque into the barriers towards the end, though, dashed his hopes and forces him to start from the 9th position in the 2023 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.

At the Zandvoort circuit located in the dunes north of Zandvoort, the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line, Charles Leclerc will face a tough comeback, not only because the track isn’t conducive to overtaking but also because the SF-23 struggled in every session. Nonetheless, Frederic Vasseur is hopeful for today’s race pace (which, according to him, showed promising results in terms of race pace) and Charles Leclerc’s comeback. The Frenchman absolved #16 for the Q3 incident, explaining that in such a tight battle, taking an extra risk is the only way to make a difference.

Fred Vasseur’s comments
“Certainly, the gap to Verstappen is too much, but it’s not the true picture of today’s session, which was very complicated. Today unfolded the way it did, Charles had a crash while he was doing a great lap at the limit, he probably put the wheel slightly off the dry line and lost the car, but it’s part of qualifying, especially in these conditions,” commented the Frenchman on Sky Sport F1.

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“We know how treacherous the conditions were, and he probably pushed a bit too much, but it happens,” concluded the Team Principal of the Prancing Horse. “The plan for Charles was to mount another set before the incident occurred, but we also know there’s a risk of yellow or red flags, so you have to push. Pushing wasn’t a mistake, it’s part of the game.”