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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Will Castle

Fred Vasseur returns to Ferrari paddock for Monaco Grand Prix after being hospitalised

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is back in the paddock for the Monaco Grand Prix after being hospitalised on Saturday, which saw him miss qualifying.

The 58-year-old Frenchman was present trackside on Friday – when his drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc earned one-two finishes in both practice sessions – but was under observation at a medical facility the following day “following some medical checks”.

No specific reason was disclosed with Ferrari confirming in a statement: "No further medical information will be provided. We wish Fred a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back at the track soon."

But in positive news for Ferrari, Vasseur is back in the thick of things for the race in Monte Carlo, which sees Hamilton start in third and Leclerc in fourth after qualifying, behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and title leader Kimi Antonelli.

Fred Vasseur is back in the Ferrari paddock after missing qualifying due to medical reasons (Reuters)
Fred Vasseur is back in the Ferrari paddock after missing qualifying due to medical reasons (Reuters)

"Although he wasn't at the track, Fred was very involved in our race day,” Leclerc assured on Saturday after qualifying.

“We missed him, but he was there and supported us from afar.”

Hamilton, meanwhile, has declared his readiness to achieve the "impossible" dream of securing a maiden victory in Ferrari red at Monaco, though will need to make up two places in what is notoriously a processional race.

He said: “You know how these races go. It’s very, very difficult. I hope we can get a really good start and maybe apply some pressure. I probably need rain. But nothing’s impossible.

“It is a shame that this race is normally a procession, in the sense of following one another. The car is overheating; the brakes are overheating with the way the track is.

“But I’ll try to get in there and hassle these two (Antonelli and Verstappen) as much as I can and force them into not making certain corners.”

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