Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has explained why the team decided to opt against using its right to review against Lewis Hamilton’s grid drop for Formula 1‘s Italian Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s debut season for the Italian marque hasn’t gone to plan for either party.
The Briton’s misery was compounded at the Dutch Grand Prix, when he was adjudged guilty of not slowing down sufficiently for double-waved yellow flags during a reconnaissance lap.
The stewards imposed a five-place grid drop on the seven-time World Champion, but as the decision was taken after the race start, it was applied during the race weekend at Monza.
Interestingly, however, Ferrari did not challenge the decision and Hamilton started the 53-lap race from 10th despite a fifth-place qualifying result – a call that Vasseur said was in the interest of the team’s race weekend on home soil.
“We decided to not complain about this, to not use the right of review because I think the right approach in Monza for us is to be fully focused on performance,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“Also because five places in Monza is probably a bit less penalty than five places in Monaco or Zandvoort.
“But I really want to have all the team focused on this weekend, on the performance, to do our own job and not to fight about something else.”
Why Hamilton penalty was ‘harsh’
The stewards, after going through the relevant telemetry data, revealed that Hamilton had only slowed down 20 km/h from his practice runs in the double-waved yellow zone.
Further, the speed at which the former Mercedes driver entered the pit entry road was also not deemed as a “‘greatly’ reduced speed”.
Despite the evidence on record, Vasseur was categorical in admitting that he believed that the Briton’s penalty was greatly exaggerated and mistimed.
“I said I didn’t complain, I didn’t say that I agree [with the penalty],” he asserted.
“It felt a bit harsh, honestly, first because I think it would have made sense to put the penalty in Zandvoort, also because this happened 40 minutes before the start.
“Sometimes you don’t have time to react and you have to decide after, but this one was 40 minutes before the start.
“And also because it was a bit subjective. When you ask someone to slow down, it’s always subjective.”
The Frenchman suggested that the FIA needed to tighten the scope of the regulations to avoid instances like this in the future.
“I think in this situation it makes sense to have a clear cut – to say, ‘OK guys, you have a kind of pit limit when you are entering the grid, you have a pit limit and full stop. If someone is overspeeding, he will get the penalty,” remarked Vasseur.
“But to say you have to slow down and then say, ‘OK, you slowed down but not enough,’ it’s a bit harsh. I don’t want to create a mess, I want to be focused on my job. But it’s harsh.”
READ MORE – The unwanted F1 first Lewis Hamilton envisages with ‘alien’ Ferrari car in 2025
Discussion about this post