Lewis Hamilton expressed regret towards his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc after an unexecuted position swap in the closing laps of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The incident involved a last-lap confusion where Hamilton failed to give back eighth place to Leclerc, despite team instructions. This event has drawn attention for its impact on race strategy and intra-team dynamics.
Details of the Race Strategy and the Failed Swap
Ferrari devised a clear tactic near the end of the race: with ten laps remaining, Leclerc was directed to allow Hamilton past to capitalize on Hamilton’s fresher tyres in pursuit of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson. The British driver was expected to have a better chance to move forward in the standings due to this advantage. As the overtaking attempt stalled, the team planned for Hamilton to return the position to Leclerc, who was leading the championship points.
However, Ferrari later clarified that the position reversal did not occur due to insufficient time during the final lap to safely execute the maneuver. Hamilton explained that he received the message to return the place too late and was focused on the car ahead, resulting in a misjudgment.
Hamilton’s Explanation and Apology to Leclerc
In a post-race interview, Hamilton addressed the situation directly. He acknowledged Leclerc’s initial sportsmanship and detailed the error that prevented the swap from happening:
Image of: Charles Leclerc
“Yeah, firstly, Charles… Obviously, I was quicker, but Charles was gracious to let me by. At the end, I got the message really late on, and I was zoned in on the car in front of me, even though there was 0.001 chance of passing. I was still hopeful, maybe. Basically, I did lift on the straight and did actually brake, but I missed it by like 4 tenths, so that was just a misjudgment for myself. So I apologise to Charles. At the end of the day, it’s 8th and 9th, so…”
Hamilton also noted that their team had not prepared a discussion for such a scenario since they had not anticipated being in that position:
“Because there was never a thought that we would be in that position. So we didn’t talk about it.”
Leclerc’s Take on the Situation
Charles Leclerc downplayed the incident in his comments to Sky Sports, emphasizing that the difference between eighth and ninth place was not significant. He expressed understanding and acceptance of the situation, underscoring the nature of team agreements regarding position swaps:
“Honestly I mean for a P8 or a P9 it’s not going to be a big talking point. I don’t really mind. Obviously these are things that we agree between us and the general rules of how we want to work whenever there’s a swap. It didn’t happen and that’s OK. I mean it’s not like I would have been a lot happier being P8 so I don’t mind.”
Team Principal Fred Vasseur’s Perspective on the Order
Ferrari’s team principal Fred Vasseur explained the rationale behind the decision to have Leclerc yield to Hamilton. He highlighted the power unit difficulties that Leclerc was experiencing during the race and pointed out Hamilton’s tyre advantage as justification for the planned swap:
“I think the situation was clear for us that Lewis had a tyre advantage and we asked Charles to let him go to try to overtake Lawson and Tsunoda or Norris.”
Vasseur also addressed the failure to complete the position exchange at the finish line, attributing it to a timing error by Hamilton:
“On the top, Charles had the issue with the recovery and we are not at the top on the engine and that, I think, was the best option for us to do this move. We asked to swap back and it looks like Lewis had a misjudgment on the position of the start and finish line.”
Implications for Ferrari and the Drivers Moving Forward
This incident reflects the complexities and split-second decision-making inherent in Formula 1 racing, especially when teammates must collaborate to maximize overall team performance. The race order confusion underscores the challenges of communication under pressure and may lead Ferrari to refine their protocols for position swaps in future events.
With the championship battle ongoing and the importance of every point emphasized, the dialogue between Hamilton, Leclerc, and the Ferrari team will be crucial to maintain harmony and competitive advantage. The acknowledgment of mistakes and open communication hints at a professional relationship focused on collective success despite individual setbacks.
