Ferrari content to allow Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to compete against one another – Fred Vasseur
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has expressed complete confidence in his drivers to compete against each other for position following a close encounter between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc while contending for the final podium position at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Hamilton ultimately secured third place in his duel with Leclerc after the two exchanged positions several times throughout the race.
While Hamilton believed there may have been slight contact at one point, Vasseur stated that the racing was consistent with Ferrari’s expectations for its drivers.
“I have immense respect for both of them; they are professionals, and I think it is reasonable in this scenario to allow them to race,” he remarked.
“However, I am fully aware that it can appear quite foolish half an hour later, but ultimately, I believe it is also the most effective way to foster a team environment, and we need this kind of competition within the team to enhance our performance.
“As long as it is conducted as it was today, even a few times on the radio they mentioned they were enjoying themselves, but I do not want to restrict their positions.”
Hamilton capitalized on a strong start to lead eventual race winner Kimi Antonelli into the first corner, but his lead over the Mercedes driver was short-lived, lasting only until the second lap.
The Ferraris managed to fend off George Russell until lap 29, but Vasseur noted that the performance advantage of the Mercedes became clear once the Ferrari drivers fell a second behind and could no longer utilize overtake mode.
“In the beginning, we were battling with the Mercedes,” Vasseur explained. “As long as we are within one second, we can access the extra boost and maintain our pace, but once they create a one-second gap, it becomes significantly more challenging.
“We might be pushing a bit harder than them in the opening laps, but after the first ten laps for each team, we revert to the four, five, tenths per lap that they possess.”
Source: espn.com
