Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, has lashed out at Formula 1’s broadcast protocols, deriding them as “a joke” for what he perceives as a misleading representation of Lewis Hamilton’s radio communications. The outcry arose following the Chinese Grand Prix, where Hamilton’s strategic in-race decision and subsequent actions were obscured in the live broadcast.
Hamilton, on the 18th lap, had relayed a message to his Race Engineer Riccardo Adami, indicating his intention to allow team-mate Charles Leclerc to pass him due to his own difficulties in maintaining pace. Leclerc, who was locked in the fifth position, was indeed throttled by Hamilton’s struggles.
Much to Ferrari’s chagrin, however, this pivotal message was overlooked in the international broadcast conducted by F1, the global custodian of such transmissions. Instead, the broadcasters chose to emphasize Hamilton’s refusal to let Leclerc overtake at Turn 14 on Laps 18 and 19, attributing this to Hamilton’s desire to manage the switch safely and without risks.
Ultimately, Hamilton conceded his position to Leclerc at Turn 1 on Lap 21, and this was how F1 chose to end the radio communication drama, by relaying Leclerc’s subsequent interaction with Race Engineer Bryan Bozzi. Leclerc, after taking the lead, managed to distance himself from Hamilton, who later shifted to a two-stop strategy and ended up finishing sixth, behind Max Verstappen.
Interestingly, the race results were dwarfed by the ensuing controversy, especially since both Ferraris were later disqualified. Vasseur expressed his discontent with F1’s handling of the radio transmissions, criticizing the creation of a misleading narrative around the situation.
Vasseur has plans to discuss these concerns with F1’s management, emphasizing the confusion that this mishap caused. He clarified, “Lewis asked us to swap, but to create the mess around the situation they broadcast only the second part of the question.”
Vasseur also noted the rarity of such situations, applauding Hamilton’s professional approach and willingness to swap positions when struggling with pace. The Ferrari boss is keen on directing the questioning about radio exchanges towards F1’s management rather than himself as he is not responsible for the broadcast.
This incident follows a similar pattern from the Australian season opener, where F1’s selective broadcast painted a picture of miscommunication between Hamilton and his team. Despite these incidents, Vasseur maintains that the collaboration within his team is excellent and there are no issues in his relationship with the drivers.
While the Ferrari team grapples with this controversy, the attention now turns to F1’s CEO Stefano Domenicali, who will be expected to address these concerns, given his charge over the broadcasts.
