In a recent press conference, Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur analyzed the key differences in terms of performance between the Maranello team and Red Bull in the start of the 2023 Formula 1 season:
How do you explain the advantage that Red Bull can count on in terms of straight line speed thanks to the efficiency of their DRS system?
“I think the difference was probably bigger last year. We expected to recover more on that front, but the gap was bigger last year. We have room for improvement in this area, but there is no doubt that from what we have seen so far Red Bull have done something different which is giving them an advantage.”
Was the development plan already ready for some time or was it something you acted on to make it improve faster?
“There is always a development plan before the start of the season, but at the same time there is room for change depending on the needs of the car. We acted very quickly, already starting to make changes in Melbourne. But we can’t massively change the plan, there are budget constraints, but we managed to speed up the process, some innovations originally planned for Barcelona will arrive at Imola“.
With your analysis, did you understand why Red Bull has a much wider advantage in the race than in qualifying?
“It’s an evolving situation, from the numbers we were able to analyze, the advantage in the race in Melbourne was much lower than in previous races, and I think this also depends on our drivers’ ability to take the car to the limit with different management of the front tyres”.
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How surprised are you to see Red Bull so competitive after the penalties for budget cap infringements?
“I think the fine imposed was not that severe. One tenth of an hour less to use in the wind tunnel is one tenth, but in the end if you can’t use the tunnel you move that budget to another sector, you’re still allowed to spend that money somewhere else. In the end, I don’t think it makes that much of a difference.”
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