Ferrari Formulation 1 crew boss Fred Vasseur says it’s time to ‘flip the web page’ on the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc following a summit assembly with the 2 drivers in Brazil.
Vasseur and Leclerc each arrived late for the Sao Paulo GP, the latter having stayed so long as he may at his Monaco base after the start of his daughter Bianca on Tuesday.
By default that moved the crunch gathering to the extra relaxed setting of a five-star lodge suite on Thursday night moderately than Vasseur’s cramped workplace in a busy Interlagos paddock earlier within the day.
Each drivers had factors to make concerning the behaviour of their crew mate, not simply within the context of the primary lap conflict in Mexico Metropolis final weekend that value Ferrari a possible victory, but in addition earlier on-track encounters between the pair.
Vasseur in the meantime had a transparent message – his star drivers should put their particular person pursuits behind these of the legendary crew and its 2000 staff.
‘It was good to debate, good to make clear my place and their place,’ the Frenchman stated on Friday. ‘It was good to do, and now we flip the web page, and we’re centered on the subsequent one.
Vasseur stated Hamilton and Leclerc are ‘two opponents with the preventing spirit for positive, however they should have a respect for the opposite one’
The skirmish got here on the opening lap in Mexico, as Leclerc charged up the grid at Hamilton, who began on pole.
‘I believe they collected maybe a little bit of frustration, as a result of they’re beginning every weekend side-by-side, and you’ve got a form of accumulation impact. However on the finish of the day, the rules are all the time the identical – they should respect one another.’
Vasseur added: ‘They’re two opponents with the preventing spirit for positive, however they should have a respect for the opposite one.
‘However primarily and firstly, they should respect the model, the crew, the individuals working at dwelling, the individuals engaged on monitor. I believe we’re placing numerous effort on this, and the message was clear – and can keep clear.’
The skirmish got here on the opening lap in Mexico, as Leclerc charged up the grid at Hamilton, who began on pole. They almost collided and Leclerc acquired a five-second penalty for gaining an unfair benefit by reducing the nook and taking the lead from Hamilton.
The seven-time world champion went down to 3rd as Max Verstappen, the eventual winner, capitalised on the interior red-on-red battle.
Hamilton later handed Leclerc to safe runners-up spot. However he was nonetheless livid, saying: ’This man is 28 years previous, so it’s not an age factor. It’s a mentality factor. It’s like, “Do or die. Both I win or none of us does,” and it shouldn’t be like that.’
Leclerc, who completed fourth, responded: ‘I’ll communicate to Lewis. I don’t know his level.
‘I could possibly be additionally sad with how a lot he pushed me off monitor out of Flip One, however it’s racing. If you find yourself preventing for a win, it’s the method it needs to be.’
On a murky Friday afternoon at Interlagos, new World Champion Kimi Antonelli topped the follow instances for Mercedes, forward of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen. Ferrari was benchmarked because the slowest of the large 4 groups, with Hamilton solely sixth quickest.
Nonetheless, with rain anticipated on Saturday and Sunday the preliminary pecking order could possibly be shaken up.
