Fred Vasseur, Ferrari boss: “By age and experience, Leclerc was closer to Carlos Sainz than to Hamilton, but I am not asking them to be best friends. The relationships cannot be compared”

After the fratricidal fight that took place the two Ferrari drivers, Hamilton and Leclerc, last Sunday in Mexicoa crash that cost the red team a double, Fred Vasseur He gathered his pilots on Thursday night to clear things up. This was stated by himself Ferrari Principal Team at the press conference FIA of team leaders this Friday in the Brazilian GP.

The Frenchman was optimistic about how that meeting went, which took place after the same Thursday, hamilton I criticized again Leclerc by ensuring that the Monegasque fought harder against him than against the rest, as he already did with his former teammates, Sainz and Vettel.

“The meeting went well. It was positive to be able to talk and clarify our positions. Now we turn the page,” said the head of the Scuderia.

There was no heavy hand and the rules do not change

But what was said at that meeting? Obviously, Fred did not want to talk about the content of the talk he had with his pilots. But the main idea he wanted to highlight is that he reminded his drivers that they must work as a team for the good of Ferrari and have respect for the brand they represent. However, he made it clear that in terms of the rules of fighting between both pilots, nothing changes and everything remains the same. Vasseur could not get new orders in the face-to-face between his pilots.

“The guidelines remain the same. I think perhaps they have been accumulating some frustration because they start every weekend next to each other, and that can generate tension that builds up. But the guidelines are always the same: they have to respect each other,” he said.

“And, above all, the first thing they have to respect is the brand, the team, the people who work in the factory and those who work on the circuits. “We are making a great effort in this regard, and the message was clear and will continue to be clear,” he assured.

“When I say that the message was clear, I mean that this is valid for Ferrari, but also for all the teams on the grid: The drivers work for the team and the team must be above everything. In this situation, without a doubt, we failed collectively, because we were first and second and in the end we did not win the race. That means it’s clear we made a mistake and we have to react. But yes, the conclusion of yesterday afternoon’s meeting was clear. It was a forceful reminder that Ferrari is above all. It is ahead for the brand, for the employees and for the tifosi, and we have to always keep it in mind,” he expressed.

If drastic decisions were not made that would change things, and only concepts were clarified, it is normal for a big doubt to arise: Will this meeting be a band-aid and tension will arise again in the future? The track will be the one that dictates if the two drivers understood the message and if they decide to abide by the rules that they did not respect in Mexico.

The relationship of its two pilots

Sitting in the same room as Toto Wolff, who had to deal with a difficult situation between Rosberg and Hamilton in 2016, the Frenchman was asked if he gave any strong warning to his drivers in case something similar to Mexico happened again. He was reminded that Wolff once made it clear that, if the fighting between his two pilots continued, one of them could lose his seat.

“To begin with, I am not sure that Toto told you ten years ago exactly the content of his conversations with Nico and Lewis, and I am going to do the same. We had a conversation and it must remain private. It is also a question of respect towards them and towards the team. Once again, the most important thing is the message. “The message is that we work for a brand, we work for the sponsors and we work for… I would say, above all, for the team employees.”.

“We have managed to recover our performance. After Madrid we came back in a much better shape, and that is due to the work of the people who are in the factory. We all, as a team, have to keep this in mind: It is not due to the wind or any other factor. It is the result of the work of the people and employees of the company. “That was the tone of the message,” he added.

Furthermore, Fred recognized that the relationship between Leclerc and Hamilton is not the same as that maintained by Leclerc and Sainz, despite the fact that the Monegasque and the Spaniard also participated in some episodes of friction.

“You cannot compare the relationship between Carlos (Sainz) and Charles (Leclerc) with that of Charles and Lewis, or with the one Lewis had with Bottas in the past, or with any other. They have different personalities. Probably, due to age and experience, Charles was somewhat closer to Carlos, and things are what they are. But I’m not asking you to be best friends. In fact, it would probably even be a negative thing. The only thing I ask of you is that you behave and work like professionals. Nothing else.

Balls out

“In China and Japan they competed fairly. Why do you think they are not capable of doing so now?” Vasseur was asked at a press conference. And there, the Frenchman did not agree with this assessment.

“To say that they are not capable of competing fairly seems a bit harsh to me. I also did not see any contact between the two cars. It is being given an enormous dimension because we were first and second, but there was no contact between them. It’s not always like that between two teammates.“He said, downplaying what happened.

“Of course, it was not a good move because when you occupy the first two positions, you expect to maintain them, and we didn’t manage to do that. Furthermore, we received a penalty that decided the race. But, as a whole, we are still the team that scored the most points during the weekend. Of course, I would have preferred to finish first, but we have to accept it, stay calm and go step by step,” he recalled.

And he also reacted in the same way to Hamilton’s words about Leclerc on Thursday. “I’m not sure he said exactly that,” he said, even though Hamilton did say exactly that. “He commented that he had probably fought against him a little more intensely than against some of his previous companions.”. But, if we review what Charles did in the first sector of Austin, everyone said that it had been magical and that he had found the limit between the two cars, but he didn’t crash into the other car either,” said Vasseur.

The Ferrari boss also revealed that he spoke with Hamilton following the phrase he intoned at a press conference about his radio against Leclerc in Mexico. “They are not going to shut me up,” the Briton said on Thursday, ensuring that he did not regret it nor was he going to ask for forgiveness.

“I already discussed this with Lewis and I prefer it to stay between him and me,” he responded.

A difficult couple to manage

When Ferrari signed a superstar to accompany Leclerc The team knew that they were exposed to friction. In that sense, Vasseur He admitted that this is one of the most difficult pilot couples to manage.

“Without a doubt, we have two experienced and very competitive drivers. We have been ahead for four or five consecutive races and have scored the most points since Monza and Madrid. So, inevitably, there is a certain escalation of tension because everyone wants to win races,” he remarked.

“I think it’s probably the least positive side of our system: we have two competitive drivers who start each weekend next to each other. But I also think that, if we are second today, it is because we have two drivers who are very evenly matched.and we have to manage that situation. But it’s a choice. It’s a choice we’ve made with our lineup, and it has positives and negatives. I will deal with the negatives,” he noted.