Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur explains Lewis Hamilton’s gap to the front and dismisses rumors of tension between Hamilton and race engineer Riccardo Adami following the F1 Monaco GP.
After receiving a 3-place-grid penalty, Hamilton had to start the race from seventh on the grid.
The Ferrari driver was able to jump Fernando Alonso and Isack Hadjar during his first pit stop.
At which time he had already lost touch with the leading pack of Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, and Verstappen.
After the first stop, it was a lonely race for the 7-time world Champion who was driving in no man’s land between the leading pack and the rest of the field.
The Briton finished fifth, avoiding being lapped, but was over 40 seconds behind the leaders.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur addressed a question about Lewis Hamilton’s gap to the leading pack.
Hamilton’s gap to the front
Vasseur explained in his print media session that Hamilton became trapped in traffic behind the lapped cars, which did not move aside for him quickly as a massive bottleneck formed behind Liam Lawson, and then Carlos Sainz.
“He lost almost 10 seconds more than the others when he joined the group of cars who were lapped.
“I don’t remember who was in this group, but it was a difficult time for him.
“They were aware of the [lead] guys coming, and a bit less with Lewis, and he was alone.
“And compared to Verstappen, who was ahead at this stage, we lost something like 10 seconds in this sequence.”
Vasseur on the perceived tension between Hamilton and Adami
Hamilton finished the Monaco GP in P5 and received brief instructions from his race engineer, Riccardo Adami.
The Ferrari driver proceeded to thank the team, but seemingly received no further response from his engineer.
The exchange, or rather lack thereof, sparked a renewed conversation about tension between the driver and the engineer.
Vasseur was quick to dismiss the notion of tension between the pair following the Monaco GP, noting that it was Hamilton’s position on track that prompted the non-response from Adami.
“Because when the driver is asking something between Turn 1 and Turn 3, we have to wait the tunnel to reply, to avoid to speak with him during the corners.”
“It’s not that we are sleeping, it’s not that we are having a beer on the pit wall, it’s just because we have a section of the track where we agreed before to speak with him.
“And honestly, it’s not a tension that the guy is asking something, he is between the wall, he is under pressure, he is fighting, he is at 300 kmph between the walls, and I am perfectly fine.
“When I spoke with him after the race, he was not upset at all.”
