Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Screencap — Photo: © LAT Images

Ferrari

Vasseur responds to Sainz RAGE as Leclerc defends Ferrari

Ferrari endured another difficult weekend on the streets of Monaco, but voices within the team offer reasons for optimism

Harry Smith

Tuesday 30 May 2023 20:57

The Monaco Grand Prix was a tough weekend for the Ferrari team with Charles Leclerc finishing P6 ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz in P8.

Ferrari's weekend was littered with question marks and frustrations, kickstarted by Carlos Sainz's crash during free practice. Then, matter for worse when Charles Leclerc received a grid penalty for blocking Lando Norris during qualifying, compromising the Monegasque driver at his home race.

And finally, during Sunday's grand prix, Ferrari brought Sainz into the pit lane against the Spaniard's wishes, prompting a furious reaction from the 28-year-old who exclaimed: “This is exactly what I talked about!”

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Vasseur understands Sainz fury

Vasseur addressed Sainz's frustrations in an interview with Sky Deutschland, stating: “He was a little frustrated. He was behind Ocon and saw Alonso and Verstappen driving away. He probably had better pace and was frustrated.”

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Vasseur doubled down on the call, claiming that the strategy was a strong one for Sainz and the team.

Sainz was left furious in Monaco, ultimately finishing in P8

"I think it was a good strategy because when we asked him to pit, it was to cover Hamilton.

"We would have been better off to extend if we were not at risk from Hamilton. But in this situation, I think it was the good call.

"Then we can discuss about when the rain came, it was a bet from both sides but I have no regrets on this because we didn't lose positions at this stage."