Fred Vasseur admits he was "a bit scared" during Leclerc and Hamilton duel in China

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has conceded he felt "a bit scared" as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel for much of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix — a tense intra-team fight that ultimately delivered Hamilton his first Ferrari podium.

Ferrari’s high-stakes intra-team fight

With the Mercedes pulling clear, the Ferrari drivers were left to contest the final podium position between themselves. Their prolonged duel, shaped in part by Formula 1’s new power unit rules and the tactical demands of energy management, became one of the defining features of the race.

Vasseur: "sometimes you are a bit scared"

From the pit wall, the spectacle was not without anxiety.

“I have to be honest, sometimes you are a bit scared,” Vasseur told Sky Germany. “But I trust them that they were in control and that something can happen. But on the other hand, it's also very difficult as a team to freeze the positions. I think they are professional and I really enjoyed this.”

Allowing two drivers to race freely carries inherent risk, particularly with a podium at stake. Yet Vasseur made clear that he trusted both Leclerc and Hamilton to manage the situation responsibly — even if the intensity of the fight made for uncomfortable moments.

Leclerc relishes the battle despite missing out

Leclerc, who ultimately lost out to his team-mate, had nothing but praise for the on-track contest.

“I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure if you ask the team they will reply the same, but I really enjoyed it,” he said. The Monegasque described the duel as hard but fair, highlighting the strategic complexity inside the cockpit.

“Honestly, these cars, for races, it's actually quite fun. And, yeah, it was just a cool race. I think it was a very fair, hard but fair battle, which was nice. And then, there's also a lot of tactics from inside the cockpit, that is really cool. There was obviously this battle for who will get the overtake in the last corner, and we both braked very early, and the way you deploy and manage the energy. So, it was a fun race.”

The energy deployment tactics, particularly in the closing corners, added another strategic layer to their fight — one that both drivers appeared to embrace. Despite his disappointment at missing out on the podium, Leclerc acknowledged Hamilton’s performance.

“At the end of the day, Lewis was just stronger and I'm happy for his podium,” he admitted. “I'm, of course, disappointed for losing out on the podium on my side, but I know I've given everything, and at the end of the day, Lewis was just stronger this weekend.”

For Ferrari, the Chinese Grand Prix delivered both tension and reward: a fiercely contested internal battle, a maiden podium for Hamilton in red, and a reminder of the fine balance between competitive freedom and team control.