P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Vasseur: Strategy gamble not reason Ferrari lost second in F1 Abu Dhabi GP
Despite Charles Leclerc finishing second behind Max Verstappen in the race, Ferrari’s strategy did not pan out well for Carlos Sainz, who failed to score any points. The team decided to put Sainz on hard tyres at the start, but he lacked pace and had to make an earlier pit stop than planned. Hoping for a safety car intervention, Ferrari kept him out until the last minute, but it didn’t happen and Sainz came into the pits on the penultimate lap. Team principal Frederic Vasseur defended the strategy, stating that the issue was with Sainz’s lack of pace rather than the chosen strategy. He emphasized that the team had faced challenges throughout the season, including reliability issues and difficult races in Miami and Zandvoort. Despite Sainz’s poor performance, Ferrari showed strong pace and competitiveness in the race.
