Fred Vasseur has emphatically dismissed speculation that Ferrari deliberately split the strategies of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at the Spanish Grand Prix to avoid on-track contact. The issue of tension between the two drivers resurfaced after incidents in Zandvoort and Italy, but Vasseur insists there is no internal crisis.
At the Madring race, Hamilton started on soft tyres while Leclerc opted for hards. This choice raised questions about whether Ferrari was trying to keep them apart. Vasseur responded casually, "Have a look. Norris and Piastri did the same. Russell and Antonelli did the same. Verstappen and Lawson did the same. I don't think McLaren were scared to have a crash between Norris and Piastri."
Hamilton suffered a braking issue early on that prevented him from maximising his soft tyres, and he eventually retired after just a handful of laps. Meanwhile, Leclerc pressed on with his hard tyres, hoping for a late safety car to allow a cheap stop. Unfortunately, that hope never materialised.
Leclerc believed the hard-soft strategy was the best option given how difficult overtaking was at Madring. "We could have done many different things, but I think the best thing for us today was what we did. If I had to do the race again I would do exactly the same thing. Starting on the soft wouldn't have given me the opportunity to do anything special. I would have ended up in the same strategy as the guys in front and wouldn't have been very helpful," he said.
Despite a disappointing outcome in Spain, Vasseur remains confident in his team's approach. He stressed that strategy decisions are based on data and race conditions, not on managing driver spacing. Ferrari will continue to evaluate their performance ahead of the next round.
With the championship battle intensifying, driver management is crucial. However, Vasseur is confident Leclerc and Hamilton can work together for the team's benefit. He also dismissed suggestions that their relationship is fractured, emphasising that the main focus is on car development.
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