Ferrari set for talks with F1 over Lewis Hamilton Radio ‘joke’
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has expressed his disappointment and frustration with the way Formula One’s governing body, FOM, broadcasted some of Lewis Hamilton’s radio messages during the Chinese Grand Prix. Vasseur felt that FOM’s portrayal of the incident was misleading and created unnecessary drama.
The incident in question occurred when Hamilton, who was struggling to keep pace with his teammate Charles Leclerc, told his pit wall that he would “let Charles go because I am struggling” to avoid costing both cars valuable race time. However, this message was not broadcasted on the FOM world feed. Instead, a subsequent message from Hamilton, in which he appeared to refuse to follow team orders, was broadcasted.
Vasseur was unhappy with the way FOM presented the incident, feeling that it created a false narrative about Hamilton’s relationship with his new engineer, Riccardo Adami. “This is a joke from FOM because the first call came from Lewis – that Lewis asked us to swap,” Vasseur said. “But to make the show, to create the mess around the situation, they broadcast only the second part of the question.”
Vasseur plans to discuss the issue with FOM, expressing his concerns about the way the incident was presented. He felt that FOM’s actions were unfair and created unnecessary drama. “You [the media] made a huge mess last week on the message between the engineer and Lewis,” Vasseur said. “Honestly, when Lewis came back to the briefing room, he said to his engineer, ‘Good job’.”
Vasseur also defended the relationship between Hamilton and Adami, saying that the two were working well together. “The collaboration between the two guys is mega and I can’t complain for a single second,” Vasseur said.
The incident highlights the complex relationship between FOM, the teams, and the drivers. While FOM’s goal is to create an exciting and engaging broadcast, the teams and drivers have a right to expect fair and accurate representation. Vasseur’s concerns about the way FOM presented the incident are valid, and it will be interesting to see how the issue is resolved.
In the end, both Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix due to separate technical infringements. Despite the disappointing result, Vasseur remains optimistic about the team’s prospects for the rest of the season. With Hamilton and Leclerc working well together, Ferrari is well-positioned to challenge for the championship.
