The tone rises to the Scuderia Ferrari. After a Grand Prix of Miami Cauchemardesque, marked by a double Top 8 unworthy of the ambitions of the Scuderia and a tight radio clash between Lewis Hamilton and his engineer, Frédéric Vasseur decided to raise his tone. The boss of Scuderia now places all his hopes during the Barcelona Grand Prix, on the weekend of June 1, evoking a “reset for everyone”. A strong message, almost an ultimatum, addressed to a team losing bearings.
Miami, the breakdown?
Everything seemed united for a rebound in Miami with a track favorable to the Ferrari … But on arrival, a 7th and an 8th place only. Worse still: the red single -seaters found themselves behind a Williams, and far, far away, of a McLaren who flew over the race. Result : 152 points behind in the manufacturer’s championship after only six races. A chasm.
On the track, the duel between Hamilton and Leclerc left traces. If the two pilots quickly exchanged their positions, it was the tone and the content of the radio messages that highlighted the discomfort. Hamilton, blocked behind his teammate, quipped: “Take a tea while you decide”, then, more acidic: “Do you want me to let Sainz too? ».
Vasseur cropped in private by Hamilton
The incident did not remain confined to the radio. At the end of the race, Hamilton had a muscular exchange with Fred Vasseur. “He came to my room, I put his hand on his shoulder and I said to him:” Hey, relax. Don’t be so likely, “the British told journalists. No excuses, but an assumed message: “I am a fighter, I want to win. If I feel it drags, I will say it. »»
The tone has remained diplomatic on the surface, but the evil is done: in Maranello, one begins to wonder if the alchemy between the team and its “dream team” of drivers really works. Vasseur, in a firefighter, minimized: “I understand his frustration. But the orders were justified. The Ferrari comes above all. »»
Is the car up to it?
The most serious may be there: Neither Leclerc nor Hamilton really believe in the potential of the SF-25. The updates brought in previous Grand Prix have not changed anything. Worse, the team was unable to exceed a Williams in the race. An observation of failure that even Vasseur’s explanations on “qualifying errors” are no longer enough to hide.
Leclerc, usually measured, seems resigned. Hamilton begins to raise his tone. And the idea of a progressive disenchantment between the pilots and the technical staff becomes a subject of paddock.
Barcelona or the end of a cycle?
It is in this high -tension context that Vasseur now evokes the Spanish Grand Prix as a kind of ultimate hope. Major developments are planned in Imola, but it is in Barcelona that the cards could be redistributed: “The new rules on flexibility will lead to a change of fins before, it may be a reset for everyone,” he told the Italian press. Innuendo: if nothing changes in Barcelona, then everything could change in Maranello.
Because behind the cozy speeches, a message is reflected: the real “reset” may not concern that the parts of the car. It could also touch the stable organization chart. A form of ultimatum not said, but now clear.
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