Leclerc Misses Monza Podium; Vasseur Expresses Disappointment Over Tyre Strategy

Ferrari failed to secure a podium at their home race in Monza, with Charles Leclerc finishing fourth and Lewis Hamilton in sixth. Team Principal Fred Vasseur attributed Leclerc's missed opportunity partly to an early battle with Oscar Piastri.

Why it matters

The absence of a Ferrari driver on the Monza podium was a significant disappointment for the passionate Tifosi, highlighting the critical role of early race strategy and tyre management in Formula 1.

The details

Leclerc's "second home race" began with an aggressive move to overtake Oscar Piastri. However, this intense duel during the initial laps significantly compromised his medium tyres. Vasseur noted that the team "overrated massively the tyres" in that phase, leading to struggles in the first stint and a risk of losing fourth position to Russell.

What Vasseur said

"It's very difficult to imagine what could have been the race without this," Vasseur told GPBlog, referring to the early battle. "I think we are not in a good place. And we overrated massively the tyres and then we paid the price the next five, six laps... But, okay, it is like it is."

He also offered an apology to the Tifosi: "I'm disappointed not to be able to bring a podium to the Tifosi because when you see the pit lane and the start and finish line at the podium it would have been magic and they deserve it."

What's next

Ferrari will need to thoroughly analyze the tyre degradation and early race strategy to understand how to prevent similar issues and capitalize on strong starting positions in future Grand Prix events.