Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has defended his squad’s pitstop mix-up early on at the Dutch Grand Prix. On the first lap of the race, rain began to hit the circuit, with the final sector in particular becoming very wet. Charles Leclerc was one of the first drivers to swap for Intermediates at the end of the lap, however, the call was made so late that Ferrari did not have the tyres ready. As a result, Leclerc was stationary in his pit box for several seconds before being sent back onto the track. It marked yet another setback for the Italian squad, which has been criticised in recent years for its strategy shortcomings. Speaking after the race, Leclerc conceded that it was his fault for making the call so late as the rain got heavier, but admitted that “we could have optimised it better as a team”.
Vasseur defends Ferrari
However, Vasseur says that Leclerc was right to make the call as he would’ve lost even more time circulating the saturated track on dry tyres. “The rain was in the last corner and he decided to pit,” he said. “It was a very late call, but I think it was still the right decision because we were in a much better position than before even with the six or seven seconds we lost in the pit lane. “For sure, if you are 10 seconds behind or five seconds behind and you make the call, it is much easier. But I don’t have to complain about this because it was the right call.”
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