Ferrari's strategy blunder at the Dutch Grand Prix exposed a deeper issue: the team appears "scared" to give clear instructions to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, according to former Ferrari manager Peter Windsor.
Hamilton narrowly missed a podium at Zandvoort, finishing fourth behind Mercedes' George Russell and ahead of his teammate Leclerc. The seven-time champion was furious with Ferrari's call not to swap drivers when he got stuck behind Leclerc on fresher tyres, costing him a shot at the rostrum. "Wasting time," he fumed over the radio.
Speaking on the Cameron CC podcast, Windsor argued the problem isn't just tactical but structural. "I always said, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were a very good team. Carlos is quick enough to win on his day, but he would never tread on Charles's toes. It was perfectly balanced," he said.
"So what did they do? They blew it apart and hired Lewis. I'm not criticizing Lewis's decision, but Ferrari didn't need to do that. When you have two huge stars in the car, it's impossible to manage. That's why I kept saying keep Carlos Sainz," Windsor added.
He believes only team principal Frederic Vasseur could handle such a dynamic, but he rarely intervenes. "If you hire Lewis to replace Carlos, you know there will be drama. The Zandvoort situation was bound to happen. You need someone at the top who says 'this is what we're doing, done,' and that's it," Windsor explained.
He also accused Ferrari of being afraid to assert authority. "They're scared to tell Leclerc what to do, but also scared to do it to Hamilton. They can't say anything to either driver," he said.
The incident adds to Ferrari's growing list of strategic errors this season, leaving them trailing Red Bull and McLaren in the title race. With two superstar drivers, the pressure is immense, and the cracks are showing.
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