Vasseur praises Hamilton’s confidence in cold conditions as Leclerc battles tyre struggles
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance at the Canadian Grand Prix, highlighting Lewis Hamilton’s strong pace throughout the weekend and acknowledging Charles Leclerc’s difficulties in managing tyre temperatures in unusually cold conditions.
Hamilton delivered one of his most convincing drives in Ferrari colours, making a sharp start by overtaking Oscar Piastri and running third in the early laps. He kept both Mercedes drivers behind him before briefly losing position to Max Verstappen. Hamilton then fought back with a bold move around the outside of Turn 1, reclaiming the place and securing his best result of the season.
Leclerc, meanwhile, endured a more challenging weekend. Despite struggling to generate tyre temperature and lacking confidence in the car, he still produced an entertaining battle with Isack Hadjar and ultimately finished fourth, salvaging important points for the team.
“Lewis was competitive throughout the entire weekend”After the race, Vasseur praised the team’s collective effort and Hamilton’s ability to extract performance in low‑grip conditions. He said, “Overall, it has been a strong weekend for the team and the result reflects the work everyone has put in.
Lewis was competitive throughout the entire weekend, from his first lap in free practice to the final one of the race. He immediately felt confident in the car and, in these very cold and low‑grip conditions, confidence is key to being able to build tyre temperature and extract performance consistently.”
Vasseur stressed that Hamilton’s confidence allowed him to bring the Pirelli tyres into the correct operating window — a decisive factor in Montreal’s chilly conditions.
Leclerc “never felt completely comfortable”The Ferrari boss also addressed Leclerc’s struggles, explaining that the Monegasque driver was unable to generate the same tyre temperature as his teammate.
Vasseur said, “It was a bit more difficult on Charles’ side as, unlike his team‑mate he never felt completely comfortable with the car from the beginning of the weekend. However, he still did a very good job today, recovering to fourth place and scoring important points for the team.”
Leclerc’s difficulty in warming the tyres was a recurring theme throughout the weekend, and Vasseur acknowledged that this limited his ability to match Hamilton’s pace.
Ferrari arrived in Montreal expecting a challenging weekend, particularly as several rival teams introduced upgrades while Ferrari did not. Vasseur noted this context, saying,: "We were expecting a difficult weekend in Montreal because several of our competitors brought upgrades while we did not, so this result is definitely encouraging."
