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Vasseur Defends Hamilton's 'Right' Pit Stop: 'Of Course It Was the Only Option!'
Frédéric Vasseur felt compelled to publicly declare that a strategic call for Lewis Hamilton was 'the right choice', as F1 history subtly reminds us of times requiring far fewer convoluted explanations.
By Kritische Hans van den Broekma - 2026-07-05T23:01:00.000Z - 2 min read
Oh, what a revelation! Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari's strategist-in-chief, has unveiled the deep truth we all needed: the decision to bring Lewis Hamilton in for a pit stop under the Safety Car was 'the right choice'. As if a team principal would ever admit that a strategic blunder akin to Bambi on ice was the cause of misery. How heartwarming that he shares this with such unwavering conviction.
Apparently, there was some doubt in the pit lane—or perhaps in the fans' backrooms—otherwise this reiteration of 'rightness' would be so… unnecessary. Because whenever a team boss feels called upon to defend a decision, we all know what that means: the decision was under scrutiny. A classic case of 'where there's smoke, there's fire', or here, where an explanation is offered, criticism existed.
In stark contrast to these modern strategic headaches, where every tire change seems to demand a master's thesis, we look back forty years. Back then, life on track was straightforward, free of endless radio messages about tire management and undercut anxiety. Just pure racing, flat out, hoping for the best.
Exactly forty years ago, in 1986, Danny Sullivan celebrated his victory in round seven of the CART IndyCar series for Penske. On the Cleveland airport circuit, he outpaced points leader Michael Andretti and his father Mario. An era when winning was still about raw speed rather than perfectly timing a Safety Car.
Also forty years ago, the legendary Nigel Mansell triumphed at the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard. The race was run on the shortened layout, a direct result of the tragic testing accident that claimed the life of Elio de Angelis. There, the focus rested on the raw reality of motorsport and the battle on track, not the questionable wisdom of a late pit stop.