Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has admitted his staff made “the improper name” in leaving their drivers out on slick tyres when late rain hit within the F1 Australian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had been working fifth and eighth respectively when a sudden heavy rain downpour hit the Albert Park monitor. Whereas most drivers instantly headed to the pits to alter again onto intermediate tyres, the 2 Ferraris stayed out on hards.
Max Verstappen additionally initially stayed out however was shortly known as in to field for wets by his Pink Bull staff.
Hamilton and Leclerc briefly ran first and second earlier than being overtaken by Lando Norris, who had switched onto inters, and seemed to be in podium rivalry, however when the rain intensified it grew to become clear Ferrari’s technique gamble had backfired.
Ferrari known as each their drivers into the pits on Lap 47, by which level the race had been neutralised by a Security Automotive following crashes for Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson.
Leclerc and Hamilton subsequently dropped to ninth and tenth locations within the Security Automotive queue once they emerged again on monitor following their late pit stops.
Explaining the pondering behind the choice, Ferrari staff principal Vasseur stated: “It was a wierd scenario as a result of sector one and two had been nonetheless dry and sector three was utterly moist and it was a sort of a guess I believe that Pink Bull and us, we guess on the truth that we’ve got to remain on monitor and to attend for the final a part of the race with slicks.
“When Mercedes and McLaren, however McLaren it is also as a result of they went out that they pitted two laps earlier than. We made the improper name as a result of I believe the best choice was to pit the identical lap as Max and we made the improper name at this stage.”
Leclerc managed to achieve a spot to complete eighth, whereas Hamilton may solely take tenth after being overtaken by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the ultimate lap.
Ferrari communication beneath the highlight
Ferrari’s drivers appeared to obtain conflicting messages in regards to the quantity of rain that might hit Melbourne.
Whereas Leclerc was warned of “class three” rain approaching the circuit, Hamilton gave the impression to be stunned in regards to the climate in an trade with new race engineer Ricardo Adami.
“I believed you stated it wasn’t going to rain a lot? We simply missed a giant alternative there,” Hamilton lamented over staff radio.
Vasseur was requested in regards to the obvious confusion at Ferrari.
“Sure, however that is very troublesome that we do not have a sensor for the rain, it signifies that it is extra a sense, it is what we will see on the display, what we will have on the radar, it is true from nook to nook,” he stated.
“I believe we had been all stunned by the amount of rain at this stage of the race, McLaren first, and now we did debate to remain on monitor with the slicks and to outlive, however it was the improper name.”
