Fred Vasseur, Ferrari’s Team Principal, has defended Lewis Hamilton following his penalty for a false start at the British Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s chances of getting ahead at his home race were significantly hindered when he was called out for a false start as the lights went out.
The Briton received a five-second penalty for the incident, which he served in his first pit stop. The FIA gave the verdict stating that:
“The Stewards determined that after the third red light was illuminated, and before the start signal was given, Car 44 moved.
“This was clearly visible on the on-board footage by reference to the yellow Pirelli lettering on the tyre, which rotated upwards and forwards before the lights were extinguished.
“The fact that the movement was limited does not negate the infringement. Any such movement in that interval constitutes a false start / moving before the start signal.”
A ‘harsh’ penalty
However, Fred Vasseur deemed the penalty ‘harsh’ as the SF-26 sensors didn’t register any pre-emptive movement.
He told Motorsport Week and other media, “From the sensors we don’t see the car moving on the grid, but it’s true that on the video you see the sticker on the tyres moving a little bit. It’s not me judging if it’s a false start or not.
“I think it’s a bit harsh when the sensors are not moving.”
Vasseur went on to defend his driver further when asked whether the false start was a larger part of Hamilton’s ‘mistakes’.
“Mistakes? You are a bit harsh,” he said. “The car is moving on the grid for 2mm. It’s a possibility, but it’s a bit harsh to say it’s a mistake.”
Unfortunately for the seven-time world champion, the chances for a Ferrari 1-2 slipped away under the safety car when Ferrari pitted Hamilton, and the race ended under a safety car, taking away his chance to regain the place.
Hamilton confessed after the race that had he known he’d lose position with his pit stop, he wouldn’t have done it.
An improved relationship
However, he praised the team equally for the progress made and the relationship that had grown.
Vasseur supported this, commenting that the growing relationship was a ‘small stone after small stone’ process.
“I think it’s coming from both sides,” Vasseur said. “That we know Lewis more, he knows more the team.
“That we work on the car from the beginning, because he was there when we started the project a long year ago.
“Small stone after small stone, it’s not that there is a game changer, it’s not a one single stone, it’s much more aligned today.”
It is clear that the new regulations have marked a shift for Ferrari, specifically in their relationship with the Brit. He took victory in Barcelona and sits just a handful of points from George Russell in the standings.
Though he didn’t take a historic tenth win at the iconic Silverstone circuit, Hamilton had come into the 2026 season as a different driver. His hopes of taking an eighth championship title are not out of the question.
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