Lewis Hamilton calls Barcelona his worst race ever as questions grow around Mercedes performance and the F1 legend’s future form and mindset.
Despite a third place far behind the McLarens, Ferrari pulled off a good result at the Spanish Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc’s podium.
Scuderia team principal Fred Vasseur explained the challenges the team faced in selecting the right tyres at the right time, but acknowledged the progress made.
“It’s always satisfying to finish on the podium, and this result, following Monaco, confirms our momentum. We’ve had three strong races in a row and climbed back to second in the Constructors’ Championship, which is a positive step,” said Vasseur.
Did Ferrari Outsmart Rivals?
“The race in Barcelona was quite intense. Like most teams, we struggled to clearly understand the performance gap between the medium and soft tyres. In the end, we saw better pace and consistency on the softs, which played in our favour with Charles at the end. Of course, the safety car also helped, as it allowed us to get ahead of Verstappen, who was on hards. The recovery went well and the strategy worked.”
Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, pointed out that oil appeared to be coming from the Monegasque’s Ferrari. However, Vasseur revealed that Leclerc was dealing with an unrelated issue.
“We had a small problem with Charles but it wasn’t oil-related. I don’t know where it’s coming from, the car perhaps. I have no idea at this point.”
Another drama on Lewis Hamilton’s side?
Did Lewis Hamilton shed a few tears before facing the world’s media? Or did he just have something in his eye at the finish?
The 40-year-old struggled to hide his emotion once the microphones were in front of him, declaring that Barcelona was “the worst race I’ve ever participated in.” Hamilton responded to questions with only two or three words, prompting pressure from a journalist. “What do you want me to say?” the seven-time world champion replied.
For Vasseur, it’s all “nonsense.” Hamilton still scored points, and Ferrari capitalised on that to take second in the championship.
“Lewis showed strong pace until the final stint, when he reported balance issues. We’ll look into it, but scoring all those points was important.”
Vasseur Admits Late Issue
Vasseur revealed there was indeed an issue on the SF-25 that slowed its pace at the end of the race.
“We’ve got enough experience not to draw conclusions from a driver’s first words. We could stir up controversy, but that’s not the case. I think we spent 70% of the race ahead of Russell. I’m not sure Russell said the race was a disaster.”
“But then, we had a problem with the car in the last stint, before the safety car came out, and the result wasn’t great. But he still completed 45 laps ahead of Russell.”
Vasseur remains positive heading into the next Grand Prix in Canada.
“Since Miami, we’ve been making steady progress, apart from qualifying in Imola. McLaren is still ahead, but we’re gradually closing the gap. We have to keep improving and stay in the fight.”
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