Fred Vasseur insists Lewis Hamilton's Spanish Grand Prix was not a "disaster" following the Briton's gloomy summary.
Hamilton, who was hoping he could challenge for a podium in Barcelona from fifth on the grid cut a disconsolate figure after the race, where he came home in seventh on the road, having been overtaken by the Stake of Nico Hulkenberg in the closing laps after the safety car.
He was promoted to sixth following Max Verstappen's penalty, but Hamilton was at a loss for words when reflecting on his race.
He did manage to say there were "zero positives" and that he had "no idea" why his SF-25 was so poor.
Evaluating Hamilton's performance, boss Vasseur pointed to a positive from Hamilton's race.
"You are experienced enough not to draw conclusions after the first words of the driver," Vasseur replied to a veteran F1 journalist when quizzed by media, including RacingNews365, about Hamilton's comments.
"If you want to create a panic, you can, but it is not the case.
"I think he did 70% of the race in front of Russell, and I'm not sure if Russell has said that the race was a disaster.
"We then had an issue with the car in the last stint before the safety car, and the result is not good.
"But he did 45 laps in front of Russell."
When pushed about the nature of the problem the SF-25 was carrying he had mentioned, Vasseur refused to provide further details.
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