Fred Vasseur believes Ferrari need to take a close look at the execution errors that cost them a podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Ferrari team principal felt that Lewis Hamilton's and Charles Leclerc's results at Zandvoort, fourth and fifth respectively, did not reflect the true potential of the SF-26.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Vasseur highlighted three key areas: the start, pit stops, and strategy. “Yeah, the pace was decent in the race, but we had some issues with execution. We had a poor start with Charles on the second start. We lost position to Piastri, who was on the hards, and we lost a lot of time at this stage of the race,” he said.
He also pointed to a slow pit stop for Leclerc that cost him track position. “It’s a kind of confusion, and it’s a bit of a shame because I think the pace was strong; I think at least stronger than Mercedes. But it is how it is that we now have to take a deep look at what we did and what we did wrong, to understand why we lost the position at the start on softs, and to try to do better next week,” he added.
Strategy Blunder and an Unhappy Hamilton
Ferrari's troubles began at the restart following the red flag caused by Max Verstappen's Lap 1 crash. Leclerc had a poor getaway, allowing Oscar Piastri's McLaren to get ahead despite being on harder tyres. Meanwhile, Hamilton was stuck behind Leclerc on an offset tyre strategy and was carrying more pace. He voiced his frustrations over team radio, feeling he was losing significant time.
When asked if the team had considered using Leclerc to undercut George Russell for P3, Vasseur explained that the situation was more complicated. “We had a group of people in our shadow, and we are trying to clear this group, and there was another group in front. In the end, we took an option. But the cars in front pitted, like Ocon and Lindblad, and we gave it to Russell like this,” he explained.
Regarding Hamilton's strategy, Vasseur revealed that the team had considered going to the end. “The story with Lewis was that at one stage we were trying to go to the end. And I think it would have been a good call also. But probably we lost one second with [following] Charles. The target when you go to the end is not this one, but for sure, with what has happened after, you can always rewrite the race,” he concluded. This failure means Ferrari missed a golden opportunity to close the gap to Mercedes in the constructors' championship. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton must bounce back in the next race. This incident also serves as a reminder that consistency in execution is key in this tight season.
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