Ferrari has conceded it was “a bit scared” that Charles Leclerc would damage his tyres in the opening stint at Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix en route to claiming third.
Leclerc turned sixth on the grid into an unexpected podium in a race in which he had expressed that Ferrari would need a “miracle” to get close to the rostrum places.
Having displaced Sergio Perez’s Red Bull at the start, Leclerc then latched onto the battle over third between George Russell’s Mercedes and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has admitted that the ease with which Leclerc cruised up behind those two prompted concern he would struggle with degradation later.
“F”or sure, from lap one we were in a good shape,” Vasseur told media including Motorsport Week.
“But I know quite often after a couple of laps, you feel if you have to push a lot to stay behind the group, or to stay in front, or if you are comfortable.
“We were in a comfortable side of the topic and as soon as you are comfortable, you are pushing a bit less, damaging less the tyres.
“I was a bit scared when Charles, at the beginning, was just behind Piastri, I think I thought it was OK that we would damage the tyres and it was not the case at all.”
However, Leclerc managed to retain pace with the cars ahead through the opening stint and he then gained those two positions with an undercut triggered on Lap 24.
Vasseur has denied that the marque took a gamble with an earlier pit stop, as he stressed how crucial track position was in Leclerc beating Piastri’s quicker McLaren.
McLaren opted to extend Piastri’s sole pit stop, but the Australian couldn’t get close enough to Leclerc’s Ferrari to make a move, despite having nine-lap newer rubber.
“The plan was for us to pit in [Lap] 25, it means that [Lap] 24 was not a huge risk,” he said. “When you anticipate a little bit, but track position is crucial in Zandvoort.
“I think that P3 at one stage was faster than us, but when he came back on us he was not able to overtake and then you start to damage the tyres and you lose a little bit the pace of this.
“It means that track position is the first target and it was the right call to pit [on Lap] 24.”
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz substantiated Ferrari’s much-improved race pace compared to the team’s uninspiring single-lap speed as he ascended five places up to fifth.
“I was a bit surprised that we can overtake today in Zandvoort, mainly for Carlos who was able to come back,” Vasseur concluded.
