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Ferrari Team Manager Accuses FOM of Selectively Broadcasting Hamilton’s Radio Chatter for Drama

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 24, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
F1 Rivals: Lewis Hamilton’s Humorous Mistake Forgetting Max Verstappen’s Name at Chinese GP

VASSEUR Frédéric (fra), Team Principal & General Manager of the Scuderia Ferrari, portrait during the Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025, 2nd round of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship from March 21 to 23, 2025 on the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China - Photo Eric Alonso / DPPI

Fred Vasseur, a prominent figure in the world of Formula One, has taken a stand against the Formula One Management (FOM). He accuses them of deliberately manipulating the broadcast of the Chinese Grand Prix to stir controversy. The bone of contention is the radio exchanges between Lewis Hamilton and his team regarding a possible position swap with teammate Charles Leclerc.

The Chinese Grand Prix, a 56-lap spectacle, featured an intense head-to-head between Ferrari teammates Hamilton and Leclerc. The pair started from the third row and engaged in an early game of cat and mouse which led to a collision between the two at Turns 2 and 3. This resulted in Leclerc losing his front wing endplate, a setback that cost him 20 to 30 points of downforce. Despite the incident, Leclerc maintained that it was a normal racing incident – not the first, nor the last.

The heart of the controversy lies in the radio chatter between the drivers and the Ferrari team that was selectively broadcast by FOM. Notably, the communications started on lap 18, with Hamilton’s engineer, Riccardo Adami, informing Hamilton that they intended to let Leclerc pass at Turn 14. The broadcast then cut to show Hamilton at Turn 14, with Leclerc still on his tail. Following this, Adami reiterated the instruction to Hamilton, only to be told, “When he’s closer, yeah.”

FOM then aired Leclerc’s message, expressing disappointment at the pace, as Hamilton finally allowed him to pass at Turn 1 on lap 21. However, Vasseur argues that the decision to swap positions was initially suggested by Hamilton himself, accusing FOM of deliberately omitting this part to stir up drama.

Vasseur expressed his discontent publicly in Shanghai, stating, “I think this is a joke from FOM because the first call came from Lewis. 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.” He assured media representatives that he plans to discuss the issue with FOM.

In spite of this controversy, Vasseur maintains that the focus should remain on the team and doing what’s best for Ferrari. He emphasized that the drivers had agreed to work together for the team’s benefit before the race, and that the suggestion to swap positions was a testament to this agreement.

The race concluded with Leclerc and Hamilton placing fifth and sixth respectively, but both were disqualified hours later due to technical infringements. Leclerc’s car was found to be 1kg under the minimum weight while Hamilton’s SF-25 had excessive skid block wear. This setback left Ferrari fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with a mere 17 points, trailing the leading McLaren team by 71 points.

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