Vasseur saw 'unlucky' Leclerc's race defined way before it started

19:45, 18 May

Updated: 20:56, 18 May

bySienna Ionta

Fred Vasseur praised his team’s strong performance at Imola 2025, highlighting how Ferrari made a remarkable recovery. Starting from 10th and 11th on the grid, the team managed to secure impressive finishes of 4th and 6th.

Vasseur acknowledged that the teams disappointment in qualifying made the race more challenging, and said Charles Leclerc was a bit unlucky with the timing of a safety car early on, which affected his starting position and strategy.

“Charles was a bit unlucky with the timing of the safety car that was in the 2nd grid,” Vasseur explained. “And at the end, we are just going through the qualifying phase, because when you start 11th and 12th, it’s much more difficult.”

It's a team effort for Ferrari

Vasseur credited everyone’s effort for the turnaround, emphasising that the collective hard work was key to Ferrari’s progress this weekend.

Despite last lap controversy as Charles was told to swap positions with Albon to avoid a potential penalty, Vasseur was quick to credit the entire team for their collective effort in delivering the strong result.

“I’m very pleased with the job done by everybody in the team today. And it’s not especially Lewis—I think Charles did a good job. The strategy did a very good job, the mechanics did a good job. The only way for us to come back and catch up to the front is that we have to work as a team and put all our efforts and resources together.”

In regards to the last few laps, he touched briefly on the complexity of current racing regulations, expressing a desire for clearer guidelines, particularly referencing an ongoing investigation related to car mirrors involving Albon and Leclerc.

“I don’t want to have to follow guidelines about whether you have the mirror at the level of the rear axle or side pod. In this case, we were under investigation and clearly at risk.”

Saturdays need to improve

Vasseur addressed the noticeable gap when asked about the difference between Ferrari’s qualifying and race pace, “I think it’s more related to the compound and to the preparation,” he said, highlighting the technical challenges the team continues to manage.

Vasseur acknowledges that due to the nature of the Monaco track, Saturday’s qualifying will be especially crucial for Ferrari to deliver a standout performance and boost their chances in the race.

"We have to be much more performant on Saturday."