Ferrari boss gives verdict on Monza qualifying and looks ahead to Italian GP: “Low downforce will be an advantage”. Fred Vasseur emphasized that the SF-24's setup is more geared toward the race.

Second and third row
Fourth and fifth positions, just over a tenth away from pole position. That’s how qualifying for the 2024 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix ended for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc starting from the second row and Carlos Sainz from the third. While the result may not have ignited the fans’ spirits, it was certainly viewed positively by Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur. Speaking to Sky Sport F1, the Maranello manager emphasized that the SF-24’s setup is more geared toward the race and that everything is still in play for podium positions tomorrow.

Setup for the race
“The positive side is that we’re right there,” said the head of the Scuderia’s pit wall. “Last week we were 7-8 tenths behind, and we managed to recover a bit in the race. Now we’re already there, and the important thing is that the race is long. We have low downforce, which can be beneficial for tomorrow, but obviously, it makes the car more difficult to drive in these conditions, and it’s easier to make small mistakes. That’s the price we paid, but overall, the balance wasn’t entirely wrong. We would have liked to be on the front row, but it’s fine. When we’re talking about just a few hundredths, small details can make a big difference.”

One or two stops?
During the lengthy interview with the satellite TV channel, Frederic Vasseur also focused on what the race strategy will be tomorrow, opening up to the possibility of two stops but also stressing that Ferrari doesn’t want to focus too much on their rivals, preferring to concentrate on themselves:

“At Zandvoort, we managed tire degradation better than our opponents, and I hope tomorrow will be the same,” commented the former Sauber boss. “But that will depend on the pace we set in the opening laps of the race: if we’re cautious, we might make one stop, but if we push really hard, it will be difficult, and I think everyone will be pushing like crazy. No doubt, when you start from the second row and you’re a tenth away from pole, anything is possible. We don’t have a margin over the others to play around with strategy. If we push to the limit, we’ll have to consider the option of two stops.” – the French manager continued.

Watch the standings
Frederic Vasseur also hinted that he hasn’t given up on either championship: “Battle between Max and Lando? I don’t care; I’m focused on us and Ferrari. We’re not too far off in both championships, especially in the Constructors’. No one can know what will happen; there are still 500 points up for grabs, so everything is open. Let’s focus only on ourselves,” the Ferrari team principal concluded.