Dealing with another “p**sed off” racing driver, David Coulthard believes Fred Vasseur will give Charles Leclerc a stern “if you don’t like it, go somewhere else” message after Las Vegas.
Vasseur had to deal with not only one but two ruffled Ferrari drivers after Saturday’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Leclerc and Carlos Sainz not impressed with the team or one another.
Fred Vasseur won’t hold back in Charles Leclerc chat
Although Sainz started the Grand Prix ahead of his team-mate, Leclerc had the better of the early running before he ruined his tyres trying to chase down George Russell for the lead. He yielded to the faster Sainz.
There was another driver swap ahead of the second round of pit stops, this time Sainz moving over Leclerc as the Spaniard tried to persuade Ferrari to call him into the pits. They eventually did so on lap 28 with Leclerc in three laps later.
The Monegasque driver was told as he left the pits that Sainz had “been told to not overtake” only for the Spaniard to swoop around him into Turn 4 to take the position. Sainz finished third with Leclerc P4.
The eight-time Grand Prix winner launched into a sweary rant on the cooldown lap before later claiming: “From now on I will be thinking about myself only.”
Vasseur shut that down quickly, stating that Ferrari would discuss Saturday night’s antics and then “it won’t be an issue”.
He though, accepts that on the night it was an issue, telling the media including PlanetF1.com that “the situation was really difficult for everybody. It was a bit of chaos, but when they are into the car they have their own vision of the race.”
More on the Ferrari fall-out from Las Vegas
???? New Ferrari data helps uncover true culprit in Leclerc v Sainz war
???? Carlos Sainz ‘not a team player’ in ‘middle finger’ assessment
Coulthard reckons Vasseur is the perfect team boss to deal with the situation as he not only played it straight with the press but he’ll do the same when he speaks with Leclerc.
Speaking on the Drive to Wynn podcast, the Scot applauded Vasseur’s handling of the situation.
“I like the fact that Fred Vasseur is going ‘look, it’s fine’,” said the former F1 driver. “He’s been around so long that another racing driver p**sed off about strategy he doesn’t rise to it, he doesn’t try to hide from it either.
“I really dislike when press officers or team principals try lie to us in a political way by going ‘there’s nothing to be said about that’. Of course there is something to be said!
“He’s going to have a chat with Charles, isn’t he?
“He’ll say ‘Buddy, take your instructions, you’re paid by the team, if you don’t like it, go somewhere else’. Whatever they say.
“He might go ‘These are the circumstances that led us to make the decision we did, we’ve got all the information, you don’t, just rein it in on the radio until we have a conversation afterwards’.”
Read next: Leclerc and Sainz ‘immediately summoned’ as Ferrari insider spills beans