Ferrari left Leclerc to decide in Mexico, and the pit wall should own that
Charles Leclerc kept the lead after a Turn 4 clash with Lewis Hamilton in Mexico, took a five-second penalty and Ferrari lost a race they could have won.
Fred Vasseur put the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix down to one thing. Asked about Ferrari's first-lap protocol, the team principal said it was "a matter of respect". That puts the weight on the drivers. We think it belongs on the pit wall.
How a Ferrari one-two lasted a few seconds
Lewis Hamilton, on pole, held the lead on the drag to Turn 1, and Charles Leclerc jumped George Russell from third to slot into second. For a few seconds Ferrari ran one-two at a track where passing is hard, as Formula 1's own report noted. Then, at the tight Turn 4, both red cars ran wide disputing the same piece of road. Leclerc cut across the grass and came out in front, while Hamilton rejoined, lost momentum and was passed by Max Verstappen.
The stewards gave Leclerc a five-second penalty, when they had the option of 10. He lost the lead to Verstappen at his pit stop anyway. Ferrari finished P2 and P4, with Hamilton less than a second behind the Red Bull.
The Red Bull in the middle
Leclerc didn't keep the place without asking. "I asked what should I do," he told RaceFans, and he kept the position. The problem was the car between the Ferraris. Handing the place back to Hamilton would also have cost him one to Verstappen, so he stayed ahead and called the penalty deserved, in a way.
He said he wanted better direction from the pit wall about whether to give the place back, and Vasseur admitted it wasn't easy to make that call. Vasseur explained that Ferrari had talked to race control but had to act before Turn 11, with a delay of around five seconds between the video and the cars on track.
Hamilton saw it more simply. He said the drivers' briefing had covered it: go off at the start and the position goes back. He added that he got a 10-second penalty last year for the same move.
Why the decision was the team's to make
Leclerc's maths holds up. With Verstappen in between, a straight swap cost him two places, not one. That is exactly why a driver in the middle of an opening lap shouldn't be the one weighing it. Leaving it to him was the mistake. We would have ordered the swap on the spot and let both cars chase Verstappen from there, on a weekend when Hamilton says Ferrari were quick even on the old engine.
The drivers themselves don't seem far apart on the racing. Leclerc said he could complain about how hard Hamilton squeezed him out of Turn 1 but called it racing, and said he will speak with his team-mate.
Hamilton wants "serious talks" behind the scenes, a line carried by The Race, Motorsport.com and Autosport. What to watch at the next start is whether Ferrari come out of those talks with a clear rule on who orders a place back, and a way to give that order before their cars reach Turn 11.
Sources
- ‘It's a matter of respect’ – Vasseur on Hamilton/Leclerc clash (opens in a new tab), Formula 1
- Hamilton says Leclerc cost Ferrari victory in Mexico and calls for “serious talks” | Formula 1 (opens in a new tab), RaceFans
- Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari needs “serious talks” after Charles Leclerc clash cost Mexico GP win (opens in a new tab), Motorsport.com
- Lewis Hamilton demands “serious talks” at Ferrari after Charles Leclerc clash (opens in a new tab), Motorsport.com
- Hamilton demands “serious talks” at Ferrari after Leclerc clash in Mexico GP “lost us the win” (opens in a new tab), Autosport
- Hamilton demands 'serious talks' after latest Leclerc incident (opens in a new tab), The Race
- Charles Leclerc responds to Lewis Hamilton's call for Ferrari talks after Mexico GP (opens in a new tab), Motorsport.com
- 'We've got big problems' - Hamilton says Ferrari need 'serious talks' (opens in a new tab), BBC Sport
- Fred Vasseur reacts to Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc clash: “It’s a matter of respect” (opens in a new tab), Motorsport.com
- Fred Vasseur calls for "respect" after Lewis Hamilton-Charles Leclerc Mexican GP clash (opens in a new tab), Motorsport.com
- Leclerc has wrong mentality, says Hamilton: ‘It’s ‘do-or-die, either I win or none of us do” | Formula 1 (opens in a new tab), RaceFans
- Hamilton slams Leclerc for "do or die" attitude after Mexico GP clash (opens in a new tab), Autosport
- Lewis Hamilton slams Charles Leclerc for "do or die" attitude after Mexico GP clash (opens in a new tab), Motorsport.com
