Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has admitted his crew made “the fallacious 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 operating fifth and eighth respectively when a sudden heavy rain downpour hit the Albert Park observe. 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 referred to as in to field for wets by his Crimson Bull crew.
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 competition, however when the rain intensified it turned clear Ferrari’s technique gamble had backfired.
Ferrari referred to 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 observe following their late pit stops.
Explaining the pondering behind the choice, Ferrari crew principal Vasseur stated: “It was a wierd state of affairs as a result of sector one and two had been nonetheless dry and sector three was fully moist and it was a type of a wager I believe that Crimson Bull and us, we wager on the truth that now we have to remain on observe 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 fallacious name as a result of I believe the best choice was to pit the identical lap as Max and we made the fallacious name at this stage.”
Leclerc managed to realize a spot to complete eighth, whereas Hamilton might solely take tenth after being overtaken by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the ultimate lap.
Ferrari communication below 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 change with new race engineer Ricardo Adami.
“I assumed you stated it wasn’t going to rain a lot? We simply missed an enormous alternative there,” Hamilton lamented over crew 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 implies that it is extra a sense, it is what we are able to see on the display, what we are able to 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 observe with the slicks and to outlive, but it surely was the fallacious name.”
