From Carlos Sainz to Audi after disputes with Charles Leclerc to Alex Albon to Ferrari, here is Fred Vasseur’s opinion on the rumors surrounding the drivers of the Scuderia.
The rumors are swirling, especially in Ferrari. Since Fred Vasseur took over the helm of the Maranello team, he has experienced it firsthand. First with the engineers and now with the drivers, everything has been said and written about the fate of the Scuderia. In a recent interview for the Italian version of the Motorsport website (which you can read in full here), the French team principal discussed the relationship between the current drivers and the rumors of Carlos Sainz leaving Maranello.
Firstly, Frederic Vasseur wanted to focus on the differences in approach between the Spaniard and the Monegasque
“Charles Leclerc is capable of exceptional things,” explains the Frenchman. “Sometimes he does things that you don’t know where he pulls them from. Charles is a driver who always thinks about winning. Our car is behind Red Bull, but he is still there thinking about trying to win. In certain situations, we have seen him push too hard, going into ‘overdriving’, trying to compensate for the deficiencies with strategy, aggression, and the risk of making mistakes.” – the Ferrari boss explained.
“Carlos is very consistent,” he adds. “He is capable of managing his pace and does it a bit better than Charles. He doesn’t go into overdriving. He doesn’t have the high peaks like Charles, for example, when he secures pole positions. But sometimes he is very close to him. In Miami, until the last corner, he was on pole. He limits the big mistakes, and he is always there.” – Frederic Vasseur continued.
Regarding the alleged internal conflict between the two drivers, the Frenchman believes that, despite the Maranello team’s mistakes, there are no reasons for a clash between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
“Mistakes were made, in qualifying in Barcelona, in qualifying in Spielberg. But there are no reasons. In the end, mistakes can happen or they can have two races in a row where they are not at their best. I’m sure they were just frustrated with the performances of their weekends. We have to keep in mind that they are always forced to push the limit, so we have to accept that they can make mistakes. They are always under pressure. I have spoken with them, and everything is fine.” – he added.
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Regarding the renewal of the current drivers with Alex Albon waiting in the background, Frederic Vasseur states that it is not their primary concern.
“I don’t know where this story came from. I had Albon in the past, we are friends. But… if a journalist asks me if Alexander is currently doing a good job, I answer yes. But that doesn’t mean I’m interested in taking him. Alex, I believe, has a contract with Williams until 2024. The team is investing a lot. So there is no problem…” – Frederic Vasseur emphasized.
So why not silence all the rumors by renewing the contracts of the two drivers?
“I was clear with the team at the beginning of the season, and I was clear with the drivers as well,” explains Vasseur. “I need to get to know the team, it takes months. They still have one year left on their contracts. It’s not a matter that needs to be discussed now. We will definitely talk about it in the future, but it’s not the primary concern. The priority for everyone is to focus on the team, especially this season. I don’t want any distracting elements. There was an article in the press talking about Carlos Sainz going to Audi. Let’s forget about it…” – the Ferrari team principal concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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