Fred Vasseur has commented on Ferrari’s dramatic Las Vegas Grand Prix. It saw Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finish third and fourth, respectively, due to strategy concerns and radio complaints from Leclerc. After attempting to push George Russell for the lead in the early parts of the race. Leclerc dropped back owing to issues with his medium tyres. While his subsequent stints on the hard rubber were better.
Leclerc emerged on track ahead of Sainz following his second stop before being quickly passed by the Spaniard. Sainz, meanwhile, had his own set of challenges, having been forced to stay out on track just as he was ready to enter the pits, forcing the 30-year-old to make an immediate return to the circuit. According to sources, Frederic Vasseur called two drivers to train together for the remaining two races of the season.
The statement was made following their back-and-forth tussle at the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Leclerc was heard shouting frustrated signals to the pit wall over the radio following the race and, when asked if this was due to Sainz passing him after his pit stop. With Sainz finishing third behind Mercedes’ Russell and Lewis Hamilton, Vasseur believes Ferrari could not have won the race even if they had handled it differently.
Ferrari Boss cracks the whip
Ferrari team manager Frederic Vassuer summoned both drivers following the race. He stated that the two were not supposed to be close friends. However, the Italian team anticipated them to collaborate in the final two races for the constructors’ championship. He said, “Frederic Vasseur immediately summoned Leclerc and Sainz after the race, and sent a clear message to both drivers.”
He further added, “Nobody is asking you to be best friends, you still have two weekends to spend together. Perhaps yes because we have to avoid fighting at this stage. I think that in the opening stint, you have to be [focused] on the management side and Carlos was already [on] Lap 3 or 4 of the stint. I think it’s more the fact that the situation was difficult for everybody. We will discuss [it].”
