Ferrari explain Leclerc-Vettel strategy from Singapore

Mattia Binotto confirmed that Ferrari considered asking Sebastian Vettel to give the lead of the Singapore Grand Prix back to Charles Leclerc, having gone from third to first at his pit-stop.

Vettel's year-long wait for a grand prix win was ended at the Marina Bay Circuit after he benefitted from the strategy to over take both Lewis Hamilton and his team-mate in the pits.

However, Ferrari had not intended to give Vettel the position, with Binotto admitting that an undercut worth 3.9 seconds "was effectively more powerful than expected".

Team orders have hung heavily over Ferrari's season after Binotto's decision to give Vettel an early-season priority that Leclerc has effectively wiped out over the course of the year, and the Scuderia team boss explained why he stopped short of bringing them back in Singapore.

He said: "Did we consider the swap? Yes, we did. I think we thought at that stage at least it was the right choice not to do it.

"Obviously now, we are still discussing with the drivers if that was the right choice or not, which internally we still have different opinions to discuss. But yes, we thought about it."

Binotto dismissed the suggestion that Leclerc ought to have been pitted before Vettel, explaining how it would have also negatively impacted his race.

"We have always given the advantage to the car ahead, that's normally the rules we are doing," he said.

"But in that case, you would not stop Charles as first he was leading the race, he would have been in traffic, and that would have been the wrong move.

"The opposite, [Max] Verstappen was ready to stop, we knew that, and the best way to protect Sebastian's position was to stop him. It was the right timing to stop Seb.

"Following that it was the right timing to stop Charles. I think it was a one-two or two-one."

Related

F1 Legends

STUNNING Vettel comeback compounds F1 champion's misery

• Yesterday 19:57

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton set to drive OLD Ferrari in 2025

• Yesterday 09:12