Ferrari boss explains why Chinese GP will be "a challenging weekend for everyone" in Shanghai

After a weekend break, Formula 1 is ready to return to the spotlight in China for the fifth act of the 2024 calendar, the first with a Sprint weekend that will put teams and drivers in the difficult position of having to decide on the setup after just one free practice session at the 5.451-kilometre Shanghai International Circuit next Sunday

The Parc Fermé, compared to last season, will be reopened after the Sprint before Qualifying, so it will be possible to make setup changes based on the data that will emerge from the 19 laps expected in the Sprint, which will start on Saturday morning at 05:00 Central European Summer Time. Ferrari is coming off a good performance at Suzuka, and the team principal of the Maranello Scuderia, Frederic Vasseur, hopes to take another step forward in China to put even more pressure on Red Bull.

Here are the comments and impressions of the French manager ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit:

“We return to Shanghai after a break of several years and that will undoubtedly make for a very challenging weekend for everyone. We will have to deal with a combination of several factors as it’s the first time the current generation of cars will race at this circuit, but we will only have one free practice session before battling for grid positions for the Sprint. Another major question mark is linked to the condition of the track surface, which could have become bumpier since when we were last there.” – Frederic Vasseur explained.

“As always with this weekend format, preparation back in the factory plays a vital role and in our case that will also involve improving the way we manage to preparation lap in qualifying, an area where we have been less than perfect recently. With Carlos and Charles, our aim is to get all the potential out of the car and to bring home a solid result, as well as putting our competitors under pressure.” – the Ferrari team principal concluded, as reported by the Maranello team’s official race preview.

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