Fred Vasseur clarifies Lewis Hamilton’s retirement in Madrid, yet his explanation raises questions
Lewis Hamilton retired early in the race at Madrid, delivering another disappointing result for Ferrari and complicating their world championship challenge. Meanwhile, teammate Charles Leclerc secured fourth place.
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During post-race interviews attended by F1InGenerale, Fred Vasseur revealed the reasons behind Hamilton’s retirement. The key question was whether the issue stemmed from first-lap contact or a problem with the braking system.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” the Frenchman admitted, raising his hands. “We were working on the car when I left the garage,” he continued. The key problem involved the “brake pedal”, which, according to the Ferrari team principal, “became too long by the end of the first lap.”
The pit wall tried to “fix it remotely from the garage,” Vasseur explained, “but then it happened again a few corners later.” On a street circuit like Madrid, especially on a new track, “it made no sense to take such a huge risk so early in the race,” he added.
The early retirement was a bitter outcome for the seven-time world champion, who scored no points this weekend. The fight for the constructors’ and drivers’ titles has grown tougher. Kimi Antonelli’s win extended his championship lead to 292 points. George Russell follows in second, while Hamilton sits third with 191 points.
Mercedes leads the constructors’ standings with 503 points, ahead of Ferrari’s 398, closely pursued by McLaren. With eight races remaining, the championship remains wide open.
Image credit: Antonio Spina for F1InGenerale
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