Fred Vasseur: Ferrari to investigate “if something happened on car” after Lewis Hamilton crash

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is standing by Lewis Hamilton after he crashed out of the Dutch Grand Prix. He also confirmed that the team will “investigate if something happened on the car” that may have caused the incident.

Despite not finishing the race, both the seven-time world champion and his team chief remained optimistic regarding his performance as they now look forward to Monza. 

Turn 3 ended Hamilton’s race when he suffered a loss of traction on the paint of the banked corner. Sliding into the barriers, he sustained race-ending damage to the front of the car, bringing his Dutch campaign to a swift end. 

Speaking after the race, the Frenchman defended his driver’s performance throughout the weekend, arguing that his “contribution was very good” despite his DNF.

On being asked if the incident was down to a lack of confidence in the SF-25, he responded bluntly. 

“Not really. This was a bit of a special one,” he said. “The track was damp during the first drizzle and it was wider than the lap before.”

Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari

Photo by: John Thys / AFP via Getty Images

He continued, adding that the Italian outfit would be launching an investigation into whether the car was at fault.

“We need to investigate if something happened on the car, but I don’t think so,” he admitted. “Overall the reaction from Lewis was good; he was into the pace of the car and of Charles [Leclerc], catching up [George] Russell and fighting with him. It was a good recovery after two tough races before the break, but the outcome is not the one expected.”

He was further questioned on Hamilton’s mindset over the weekend, especially after a Friday he described as “the worst Friday of the last three years.”

“He was quiet Thursday because he’d had two tough weekends before the break. Friday was more the car than him. I can be more than pleased with the job done. The pace today from Lewis was a good one. He lost the car, but overall, the contribution was very good.

“After Monaco, the quali pace was good, then Canada, Silverstone, Austria – he was improving. The last two races before the break were tough, but in Q3 he’s only one tenth off Charles. We must stay calm and take the season on average.

“Honestly, after the race he was much more positive than the last four or five events. He was on the pace, fighting Russell. We recovered from Friday, so the mood was positive. He can take a lot from the weekend and build confidence for Monza.”

Photos from Dutch GP – Race