“It’s a joke!” Fred Vasseur blasts F1 over Lewis Hamilton’s position swap saga at Chinese GP
Fred Vasseur wasn't happy with the FOM twisting Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc's position swap situation at the Chinese GP.
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Fred Vasseur, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc (via Motorsport Week)
Ferrari suffered from a rollercoaster of a performance at the Chinese GP. Lewis Hamilton started the weekend in a great fashion after winning the Sprint race. However, the performance quickly dipped over the Qualifying session as both Charles Leclerc and Hamilton couldn’t contend for the pole position. Moreover, during the race, the Briton was asked to swap places with Leclerc which caused an uproar amongst the Tifosi. Upon this, Fred Vasseur has taken a dig at the FOM for broadcasting only half of the story at the Chinese GP.
Lewis Hamilton seemed confident of a great performance at the Chinese GP after dominantly winning the Sprint race. Hamilton downplayed the performance issues, blaming the minor changes brought to the chassis by Ferrari following a mediocre outing in Qualifying. The Briton was unable to move up the pecking order with ease due to uncertain tire degradation and balance. Charles Leclerc on the other hand seemed to have a better pace than the 40-year-old.
As a result, Hamilton asked the team to swap positions with Leclerc to allow the latter to fight to improve his position on the track. However, the FOM broadcasted only the radio communication which asked the Briton to cede positions. This caused a bitter moment amongst the fans as the Italian constructor seemingly favored the Monegasque over the seven-time champion. Team Principal Fred Vasseur wasn’t too happy with the Formula One Management (FOM) showcasing only the final call.
Vasseur blasted the FOM and called it a ‘joke’ due to them showcasing only half of the story. The Frenchman revealed that Hamilton was the one who asked to swap positions first. However, the broadcasting showcased only the second part of the question to ‘confuse’ the situation and create a ‘spectacle’ amongst the fans. The 56-year-old reiterated that the 40-year-old was the one to make the call to swap positions with Leclerc towards the end of the Chinese GP.
FOM radio communications? I think it’s a joke. The call came from Lewis first. He was the one who asked for the car swap, but to confuse the situation and create a spectacle, they only broadcast the second part of the question. It was Lewis who asked for the positions to be reversed.
Fred Vasseur told formulapassion.it.
Formula One has responded to the controversy by releasing a statement that asserts there was no malicious intent behind not playing Hamilton’s comments. They have cleared the situation with Ferrari as FOM has met with Fred Vasseur, putting an end to the misleading narratives on social media.
There was absolutely no intention of presenting a misleading narrative regarding the Ferrari team radio. Due to other situations developing during the race, the message from Lewis was not played, but this was not intentional.
Formula One spokesperson said
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Fred Vasseur applauds ‘enormous cooperation’ between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are two highly sought-after drivers on the grid. The two are extremely competitive, yet they share a great sense of responsibility and teamwork. Despite having a disappointing double disqualification at the Chinese GP, Leclerc and Hamilton worked extremely hard to maximize points. As such, Fred Vasseur applauded the great cooperation between the two despite facing dire situations.
Vasseur noted that the pit wall greatly appreciated Hamilton’s call to swap positions and allow Leclerc to fight for a better finish. Ferrari asked the drivers to swap positions one lap after the initial call was made by the 40-year-old. The Frenchman commended the great cooperation between the drivers despite being extremely fierce in competition. The 56-year-old reassured that he had no complaints from either of them after the Chinese GP.
Honestly, from the wall, we really appreciated Lewis admitting he didn’t have the pace and being willing to swap. He initially said to stay like that, then he realized he had no pace and we swapped. The cooperation between the two team members is enormous. I have no complaints about anything.
Fred Vasseur noted
Fred Vasseur claims ‘many positives’ to be drawn from Chinese GP
The Chinese GP turned out to be a nightmare for the team, especially after the double disqualification after the race finished. Fred Vasseur still managed to remain positive about the situation and raised optimism over the team’s chances in the coming races. Despite the disappointing end to the weekend, Vasseur reckons that many positives could be drawn from it.
Vasseur highlighted that Hamilton’s pole position for the Sprint race and ultimately the win was a great start for the team in their championship ambitions. Moreover, Charles Leclerc’s superior race pace as compared to his teammate was yet another positive aspect. However, the Frenchman acknowledged that there were still some negatives that needed to be worked upon immediately. Therefore, the Italian constructor aims to promptly fix the issues and aim to set their foot in the constructors’ championship contention.
I think there are many positive aspects to be drawn from the weekend, like Lewis’s victory and pole or Charles’s pace today. There are also negative sides. Understanding the reason for Hamilton’s race pace today is much more difficult, as is his qualifying pace on Saturday. We are still at the limit in getting the most out of the car and the team. We need to improve in this area
Fred Vasseur concluded
The 2025 season has just begun as Ferrari aims to bolster their position in the constructors’ championship standings. The Scuderia has developed a decent enough chassis that is capable of fighting with the McLarens at the forefront. Hence, the team has to now focus on minimizing errors and helping the two drivers contend for the race win. The Tifosi have massive hopes banked on the Italian constructor to emerge victorious in either of the championships this year, especially with Hamilton.
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