News Summary
- Frédéric Vasseur praised Ferrari’s pace and recovery after losing ground at the start.
- He acknowledged that Ferrari chose the wrong starting tyres for the conditions.
- Vasseur said the decision remained difficult even after seeing how the race unfolded.
Frédéric Vasseur praised Ferrari’s recovery in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, despite acknowledging that the team had chosen the wrong starting tyres. Lewis Hamilton finished third and Charles Leclerc fourth at Sepang after an opening phase that left both drivers chasing the leading group.
The Ferrari team principal highlighted the pace demonstrated during the recovery and the way his drivers managed a race shaped by changing conditions and multiple Safety Car periods.
“It’s a strong performance, if you consider that we were 21 or 22 seconds off after lap 1, or something like this. It’s a very good comeback, very strong pace. Very well managed by the two guys, and we can be pleased with this,” Vasseur said.
Ferrari’s early losses came after committing to slick tyres on a track that remained damp. Drivers on intermediates gained substantially in the opening laps, leaving Hamilton and Leclerc with ground to recover before conditions became more favourable.
“For sure, the tyre choice is another story, but at the end of the day. I think 50% of the cars took one direction, and the others 50 took the other one, and we were on the wrong side,” Vasseur continued.
The full Sepang race report and results detail how Ferrari recovered behind race winner Max Verstappen and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Vasseur says hindsight does not settle the tyre decision
Although Vasseur accepted that Ferrari had ended up on the wrong side of the choice, he did not regard the alternative as an obvious decision at the time. The changing conditions complicated the assessment of whether to start on slicks or intermediates.
“Difficult. Honestly, if I have to do it again, I’m not sure which choice I’d make now that I know. It is like it is, it’s a difficult choice in these conditions,” he explained.
Vasseur pointed to the limited view available from the pit lane when assessing the circuit. A drying surface near the garages did not necessarily represent the grip available around the entire lap.
“You are in the pitlane, you can just see the tarmac in the pitlane, but I am very pleased with the performance over the weekend. We had a very strong comeback. The pace was there and I am pleased for everybody,” Vasseur added.
Ferrari converts recovery into 27 points
Hamilton and Leclerc collected 27 points between them, giving Ferrari a productive finish despite the difficult opening. Hamilton secured the final podium place after passing Isack Hadjar following the late restart, while Leclerc also moved ahead of the Red Bull driver to finish fourth.
Vasseur’s assessment focused on the performance Ferrari demonstrated once the initial tyre disadvantage had passed. Both drivers recovered sufficiently to put the team immediately behind Verstappen and Antonelli at the finish.
Hamilton remains third in the Drivers’ Championship with 214 points, while Leclerc is fourth on 191. Ferrari has 405 points in the Constructors’ Championship, behind Mercedes on 556.
Formula 1 returns from 9–11 October for the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action throughout the weekend.
