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Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur has defended the late-race pitstop strategy that cost Lewis Hamilton second place at the British Grand Prix. Hamilton dropped behind Mercedes driver George Russell after pitting for soft tyres during a safety car period, while Russell stayed out and inherited the position when the race failed to restart. Vasseur insists Ferrari would make the same call again, citing the risk of being vulnerable on worn hard tyres had the race resumed.
Hamilton had run comfortably in second place for much of the Silverstone race, trailing teammate Charles Leclerc who went on to claim his first victory in several months. When a late safety car was deployed, Ferrari brought Hamilton into the pits for fresh soft tyres. Russell remained on track, moving up to second. The race ended under caution, leaving Hamilton stranded in third with unused pace advantage.
Speaking after the race, Vasseur was asked whether Ferrari should have left Hamilton out on track. He expressed no regret over the decision, explaining that the alternative carried greater risk.
The strategic dilemma Ferrari faced
"You can discuss afterwards whether it was the right decision to bring Lewis in, but if we had stayed out and Russell had taken new soft tyres, then we would have been running in front of him on worn hard tyres. We did not want to take that risk," Vasseur told media. "We were also counting on a restart and were surprised that the safety car stayed out so long. With the information we had at that moment, I would make exactly the same choice again."
The call highlights the impossible calculus teams face under safety car conditions. Ferrari had no guarantee the race would finish under caution, and protecting against a racing restart meant accepting the possibility of losing track position if it did not. Had the race gone green with Hamilton on old hards and Russell on fresh softs, the British driver would likely have been passed within a lap or two.
Leclerc victory overshadows strategic setback
Despite the missed opportunity for Hamilton, Ferrari left Silverstone in buoyant mood. Leclerc's victory marked a return to form for the Monegasque driver, who had endured a difficult run of results despite strong underlying pace. Vasseur praised his driver's resilience and pointed to the win as validation of Ferrari's recent development direction.
"We never lost confidence in Charles. He has been strong on pace for a while, but the results were not coming. A victory like this gives a driver exactly the confidence he needs to perform at his absolute best again," Vasseur said. He added that Leclerc had been close to breakthrough performances in previous races, but circumstances had conspired against him.
Ferrari closing gap to Mercedes
Vasseur also used the Silverstone result to temper expectations while acknowledging progress. Ferrari arrived at the high-speed British circuit knowing it would expose any remaining weaknesses in their package, particularly in aerodynamic efficiency. That Leclerc won despite those concerns suggests the Scuderia is making tangible gains.
"We know we are still lacking speed, and at a circuit like Silverstone you expect to feel that even more. That is exactly why we focused on winning every detail all weekend and kept making small improvements," Vasseur explained. He stopped short of predicting a sustained title challenge, but the implication was clear: Ferrari is no longer conceding races on merit alone.
The British Grand Prix offered Ferrari both encouragement and frustration. Leclerc's win proved the car has race-winning potential, while Hamilton's strategic misfortune served as a reminder that execution still matters as much as pace. Vasseur's willingness to defend the call publicly suggests Ferrari is confident in its decision-making process, even when circumstances make the outcome look questionable. Whether that confidence is justified will depend on how the team handles similar dilemmas as the season progresses.
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