Disappointment at Ferrari: Vasseur and Hamilton Exchange Barbs

Ferrari analyzes the qualifying session for the Madrid Grand Prix, which saw the Maranello team finish with the fourth- and fifth-fastest times set by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The Prancing Horse had expected much more. Team principal Frederic Vasseur commented: “Obviously, when you’re in first place after the first lap, you start thinking about pole position. But Hamilton made a mistake right away in Turn 1 and Turn 2, and that cost him a tenth of a second. When you start the lap under those circumstances, it’s tough.”

The seven-time world champion, however, doesn’t share that view: “Clearly, we weren’t in pole position territory, even when we were in the lead. Maybe our rivals pushed the engine harder in the final sector, or maybe they have something we don’t, and we can’t do any better than this. We have an extra set of tires for the race, but it’s not really that big of an advantage because, in the end, things even out.”

Here’s what Charles Leclerc, who will start from the third row, had to say: “The car felt pretty good; I definitely paid a bit of a price in terms of the power unit, but I think we squeezed everything we could out of the car today. Of course, in hindsight, you think you could have done a little better here and there, but it’s the same for everyone, so… Fifth place is what it is; we’ll try to make the most of it in the race.”.

“Tire degradation is very high, no doubt about it. Often, though, on street circuits, the tires ‘evolve’ quite a bit; things could change—let’s hope for the better. In any case, it’ll be a tough race in terms of tire management.”