Ferrari believe new qualifying format not responsible for poor result in Hungary. Ferrari boss on new qualifying format.

Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur believes that the Maranello team’s poor qualifying result in Budapest cannot be attributed to the new qualifying format experimented there but rather to tire management. Carlos Sainz was eliminated in Q2, admitting to struggling with the medium tires throughout the weekend, while Charles Leclerc couldn’t go beyond the sixth position, albeit just three-tenths off the pole.

Fred Vasseur thinks that the new qualifying format in Budapest didn’t influence Ferrari’s poor result.

“The qualifying result? It has nothing to do with the format; it’s the same for everyone,” Vasseur stated to Sky Sport. “We had trouble getting a clear picture of the situation before the session. We didn’t do a good job in tire management. Did I expect more from Charles? Yes, but the battle was very tight, and you lose a row by a few hundredths.” – the French manager pointed out at the end of the qualifying session for the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.

“In these cases, you can always do a little more. We’re behind Hamilton. We were ahead throughout the session, but in the end, we didn’t make it. Being behind Max was more predictable. Surprised by Alfa Romeo? I think everyone is. They didn’t bring upgrades.”

Once again, the expectations in Maranello did not match the bitter truth on the track. Fred Vasseur confirmed that the new qualifying format, which involved using hard tires in Q1, mediums in Q2, and softs in Q3, didn’t influence the final result.

“It’s a good lesson,” the Frenchman added. “We all always focus on upgrades. They didn’t bring anything specific, yet they went from the back of the grid to the front positions. This means that by interpreting the available package well, you can make progress.” – he continued.

Charles Leclerc will start in sixth position tomorrow at the Hungaroring circuit, while Carlos Sainz is just outside the top ten. While aiming for the podium may be a fairly challenging task for the latter, the Monegasque driver will have the moral duty to bring the red car back up, although Friday’s race simulations highlighted a Ferrari still to be deciphered.