D’Ambrosio hints at Vasseur's health conditions

Ferrari endured a dramatic and emotionally complex qualifying day in Monaco, securing a solid but slightly frustrating P3–P4 result while operating without team principal Fred Vasseur, who was taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

In his absence, Jerome D’Ambrosio, the team’s Deputy Principal, stepped into the lead role — and offered a candid assessment of a qualifying session that left Ferrari with “mixed feelings.”

Lewis Hamilton delivered the team’s strongest lap, securing third after giving the car, in his words, “absolutely everything.” Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, was left disappointed with fourth at his home race after brushing the wall at Tabac on his final Q3 attempt — though braking issues meant he was already on the back foot.

D’Ambrosio acknowledged the positives while recognising the opportunities that slipped away.

“The result leaves us with mixed feelings. On the one hand, having both cars on the second row is a solid outcome in such a competitive qualifying session. On the other, Charles’ last lap was in the mix until he touched the wall at Tabac corner, which is encouraging.”

He also praised Hamilton’s late-session execution: “Lewis struggled with the car balance during qualifying but managed to put in a strong lap in at the end which allowed us to lock out the second row.”

With overtaking notoriously difficult in Monaco, Ferrari know Sunday will require precision and opportunism: “Although overtaking isn’t straightforward here in Monaco, we will give our best tomorrow to maximise any opportunities.”

The Belgian was also asked about the condition of Fred Vasseur, whose sudden hospitalisation created uncertainty within the paddock.

When pressed by Sky Sports F1 on whether Vasseur would return for Sunday’s race, D’Ambrosio kept his response brief: “I won’t go into further detail.”

But he did offer reassurance about Vasseur’s health: “Without going into details, Fred is okay. He had to go under some checks today, but he’s okay.”

Ferrari have not confirmed whether Vasseur will be back on the pit wall for the Grand Prix, but D’Ambrosio’s comments suggest the situation is not serious.