Formula 1 has spoken to Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur to clarify why certain radio messages weren’t broadcast in the Chinese Grand Prix.
An irritated Vasseur branded Formula One Management’s [F1’s commercial arm] use of radio messages regarding the team orders debate between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari “a joke” after the race.
What irritated Vasseur
Hamilton was struggling in the grand prix in Shanghai, under pressure from Leclerc throughout the first stint and the start of the second despite Leclerc carrying wing damage from opening-lap contact between the pair.
As Leclerc quickly closed in on Hamilton at the start of the second stint, Hamilton told his engineer: “I think I’m going to let Charles go, because I’m struggling.”
However, that radio message wasn’t broadcast on the international feed - nor was the one instructing him that the swap would take place at Turn 14.
It was only when Hamilton was told again of the plan to swap cars at Turn 14 that viewers heard of the swap, a message which Hamilton replied with “when he’s closer, yes”.
Closing in on George Russell had changed Hamilton’s mind about an immediate swap but the full set of radio messages show Hamilton was ready to swap, it was just a case of when.
He did so a couple of laps later at Turn 1.
It was a fairly standard team orders exchange with some resistance based on race circumstances shifting, but Vasseur was angered by the delay in broadcasting the messages and the exclusion of the message that showed it was Hamilton who first suggested the swap.
Vasseur said: “This is a joke from FOM, because the first call came from Lewis - that Lewis asked us to swap. But to make the show, to create the mess around the situation, they broadcast only the second part of the question.”
F1’s response
The Race understands FOM met with Vasseur directly to address his concerns and clarify the situation, with the matter now considered resolved.
“There was absolutely no intention of presenting a misleading narrative regarding the Ferrari team radio,” an F1 spokesperson said.
“Due to other situations developing during the race the message from Lewis was not played but this was not intentional.”
