Fred Vasseur admits “gap to Red Bull is still big, we need to be realistic” amid first data from F1 testing. Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur comments on the first day of F1 testing in Bahrain.

The Ferrari team principal, Frédéric Vasseur, comments on the first day of F1 testing in Bahrain: “The gap is wide, we need to be realistic.” The sun sets on the Sakhir track, and the first verdicts begin to emerge. The Red Bull “looks fast,” echoing the words of Toto Wolff, but it is still complex to decipher everyone’s work. There is optimism in Maranello, despite a seemingly unreachable Max Verstappen.

The Bahrain tests have officially begun. Formula 1 lands in Sakhir for an important combination of pre-season testing and the first race weekend the following week. The morning was dominated by Max Verstappen, immediately seven tenths faster than Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, a lead he maintained in the afternoon. A testing session remains a testing session, but some verdicts already seem to be filtering through.

Frédéric Vasseur preaches realism in the Ferrari box, setting specific goals for the 2024 Formula One season: “Last year we had a difficult season, but it was like that for anyone who wasn’t Red Bull,” explained the Frenchman at the press conference. “We’ve recovered well, and it’s important to continue on this path. I don’t know if we can catch Red Bull; We need to be realistic, there’s still a big gap to close.” – he continued.

The engineer, team principal of Maranello, also defends the philosophy chosen by the Scuderia (and not only): “There is no just copying, but through a series of wind tunnel tests, you find the best solution. If the rules remain stable, the cars converge in terms of concept. If you start copying just like that, you’ll always be a step behind the others.” – the Ferrari team principal concluded.

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Under the Bahrain stars, the first day of testing comes to a close. Max Verstappen resumes from where he left off last season: at the top, dominating his opponents. But these are just pre-season tests and everything can still change. See you tomorrow for the second day on the Sakhir track.

Source: f1ingenerale