Lewis Hamilton has apologised to his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc after failing to provide eighth place again to the Monegasque on the ultimate lap of the Components 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Ferrari's plan was easy: with 10 laps remaining, Leclerc was ordered to let Hamilton previous to chase down Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson. With the Briton on more energizing tyres, he was the extra doubtless driver to reach making a transfer. However when this plan did not yield an overtake, the drivers had been instructed to reverse their positions, placing Leclerc again in eighth.
This swap by no means got here to fruition, with Ferrari explaining after the race that there was “inadequate time” to finish the transfer.
Talking after the race, Hamilton apologised to his team-mate alongside a proof: “I used to be faster, however Charles was gracious to let me by. On the finish, I acquired the message actually late on, and I used to be zoned in on the automobile in entrance of me, although there was 0.001% likelihood of passing.
“I used to be nonetheless hopeful, perhaps. Mainly, I did elevate on the straight and did truly brake, however I missed it by like four-tenths, in order that was only a misjudgment for myself. So I apologise to Charles. On the finish of the day, it is eighth and ninth.”
Requested if there was a dialogue forward of the race for such a situation, he added: “As a result of there was by no means a thought that we might be in that place. So we did not speak about it.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Leclerc, in the meantime, downplayed the scenario: “Truthfully I imply for a P8 or a P9 it isn't going to be an enormous speaking level. I do not actually thoughts. Clearly these are issues that we agree between us and the overall guidelines of how we wish to work every time there is a swap. It did not occur and that is OK. I imply it isn't like I'd have been so much happier being P8 so I do not thoughts.”
Workforce principal Fred Vasseur defined the decision to swap the drivers initially, noting energy unit points his stalwart driver was preventing with: “I feel the scenario was clear for us that Lewis had a tyre benefit and we requested Charles to let him go to attempt to overtake Lawson and Tsunoda or Norris.
“On the highest, Charles had the difficulty with the restoration and we aren't on the prime on the engine and that, I feel, was the best choice for us to do that transfer.”
On Hamilton's failure to return the place to his team-mate, the Frenchman provided his clarification: “We requested to swap again and it seems to be like Lewis had a misjudgment on the place of the beginning and end line.”
