Fred Vasseur (Ferrari): “The penalty for Lewis Hamilton is certainly very harsh”

The two Ferraris driven by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line at the Belgian Grand Prix on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in second (Charles Leclerc) and fourth (Lewis Hamilton) places. And when a Ferrari driver finishes less than two seconds behind the winner, Kimi Antonelli, after 44 seconds, the question naturally springs to mind for the Tifosi: could more have been achieved in this Grand Prix?

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur assesses the performance of the world’s most famous racing team, beginning with the mechanic who fell: “Fortunately, the member of staff is fine. That was a mistake in the pit stop procedure, because the light on the gallows was green and Lewis therefore thought he could drive off. It was simply a mistake in the procedure and a bit of bad luck.”

On Hamilton’s penalty for the collision with Russell, the Frenchman says: “Ultimately, my view doesn’t matter; it’s the race stewards’ judgement that counts here. Up to now, they’ve perhaps been a little less strict in such situations. When you see that Russell still had quite a lot of space on the left to avoid contact, then I have to say – that’s quite a harsh call against Lewis.”

Vasseur is clearly pleased with the solid result, but he points out: “We mustn’t forget – we were able to benefit from the Virtual Safety Car phase and were perhaps gifted nine seconds there.”

“Kimi Antonelli was faster than us; that was obvious. Overall, it was a strong performance by the team, as we couldn’t have expected such a result at either Spa or Silverstone; two circuits that don’t necessarily suit our car. Being in the mix at the front and delivering consistent performance is the most important thing. Now we might see some stronger weekends again, at least as far as the circuit layouts are concerned.”

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