Charles Leclerc changes hards after just 17 laps, but Fred Vasseur defends strategy: “It was right at that moment”. Frederic Vasseur defended the unusual strategy adopted by Ferrari with Charles Leclerc in Hungary.

Frederic Vasseur defended the unusual strategy adopted by the Ferrari pit wall with Charles Leclerc in the 2024 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, particularly in the second stint at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest.

Ferrari, a strategy that raises questions

Despite a fourth place that brings hope to Ferrari and hints at light at the end of the tunnel, today’s race, especially with an aggressive Charles Leclerc, leaves a bit of a bitter taste.

A rather questionable strategy was adopted with the Monegasque, which did not allow him to fight for the podium with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, although the Dutchman’s reckless move against the Mercedes driver allowed number 16 to gain a position and some points in the championship.

Interviewed by Sky Sport at the end of the race, Frederic Vasseur explained the decision to call Charles Leclerc to the pits after only 17 laps on hards, a tire with which the SF-24 had proven to be the fastest car on the track: “Charles started well, he was fourth or fifth at the beginning. If you are out with the same tire, even if you are faster, you can’t overtake and if you copy the strategy of those in front, you have no chance.”

“We tried to undercut Max Verstappen, but Lewis Hamilton came in the same lap. This meant being stuck behind Lewis. It was a bit of an aggressive strategy, but I think it was the right one at that moment.” – the French manager pointed out at the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix – “It’s true that he had a particularly strong pace in the middle stint with the hard tires, while he had a little more difficulty at the end with the mediums, but that’s how it went. We still need to make a small step forward in terms of performance. Last year we finished 65 seconds behind Red Bull, and this year we are 20 seconds behind McLaren. It’s not enough, but it means we are on the right path. The race went quite well. We had a nice battle behind the two McLarens with Red Bull and Mercedes. Overall, we got the most out of what we could this weekend.” – Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur concluded.

Source: f1ingenerale