The substantial improvement in McLaren’s performance compared to the early stages of the season isn’t as dramatic as commonly interpreted, according to Frédéric Vasseur, who holds a different view.
Ferrari’s Team Principal acknowledges the progress McLaren has made since the start of the 2023 Formula One championship. However, Fred Vasseur emphasized that the Suzuka circuit was particularly suited to the MCL60. Furthermore, according to the Frenchman, McLaren had already demonstrated flashes of performance at these levels during the early stages of the season.
“I don’t think we read the season the same way,” Fred Vasseur said in response to a motorsport.com question on the topic.
“I think they had some difficulties at the beginning, and then they recovered rather quickly. Even in Barcelona, they were on the second row. I think it was Max [Verstappen] and Carlos [Sainz], then Lando [Norris] and Lewis [Hamilton] on the second row; they were already competitive,” – the French manager explained to support his argument following the Japanese Grand Prix.
“This type of track is probably more suitable for them than for us. But it’s certainly not just about potential, it’s also about drivability. Every time you take a step forward, you’ll also help the driver move forward, and this can create a kind of chain reaction,” Frederic Vasseur added, endorsing the idea that McLaren’s progress is a combination of track characteristics and developments.
“In any case, it’s a small step compared to Red Bull!” concluded the former Renault and Sauber team principal, recalling that their target is the Austrian team that has dominated the championship.
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In the Japanese round, Scuderia Ferrari was a few hundredths slower than the Woking-based team in qualifying. During the race, however, the papaya team showed greater superiority over the Prancing Horse, especially with Lando Norris.
Nevertheless, for now the battle in the constructors’ championship doesn’t directly involve these two teams. Ferrari is aiming for second place behind Mercedes, while McLaren is focused on beating Aston Martin to secure fourth place.
Source: f1ingenerale
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