Just a few days after the Monaco Grand Prix and in view of the next round of the 2023 Formula 1 championship, the Spanish Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur met the Italian media to review the events in Monte Carlo and look ahead to the Barcelona weekend.
Here are some of his most important comments for Motorsport Italy:
You mentioned the need to improve in terms of consistency. Is there confidence that with the current car concept, this aspect can improve? As for next year’s car, will it visually be similar to the current concept or will you go in a different direction?
Frederic Vasseur: “The concept doesn’t have much to do with the external appearance you see. It’s clear that we struggle more in the race compared to qualifying. We need to find consistency, but it’s not a matter of concept. It’s about improving the use of the package we have by working on the car’s balance. We are not yet at an optimal level, but that doesn’t mean we have to change the concept and philosophy of the car.”
Do you think the true potential of the car can be enough to win a race during this season?
Frederic Vasseur: “I believe it is easier to find consistency than to unlock the potential in qualifying. As soon as we can unlock this potential, I think starting from the front row, we will be able to fight for the win. But today, the situation is what it is. We know where we need to work and improve. Everyone is focused on this aspect, and we are pushing to bring updates and solutions to improve in this area. But we can believe in the possibility of winning.”
Were the aerodynamic engineers surprised by the photos of Red Bull’s floor? Did you learn anything by observing them?
Frederic Vasseur: “I don’t want to talk about it, but I’m sure all teams have hundreds of photos of other cars.”
You have already made some changes at the beginning of the season, but are there further changes that can be made to improve the remote garage, considering the error that occurred last Saturday?
Frederic Vasseur: “Surely, we learn from our mistakes. But the most difficult aspect of my job is understanding what is a mistake and what is not. We received criticism for the strategic choices made in Monaco, but we did not make mistakes. We covered Hamilton at the first pit stop. We discussed it with Carlos, and we agreed that it was the right decision. As for the second stop, it was easier to be conservative and stop earlier while fighting for the fourth or fifth position, or wait for a red flag or a Safety Car, maybe even aiming for a podium.”
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“It’s not a matter of strategy, it’s a matter of the risk you want to take and what you want to achieve. There were no mistakes. The mistake we saw on Saturday, and I don’t think it was just a communication problem, probably we need to strengthen the communication group with the engineers. My job also involves making decisions when I believe we have weak points. I’m still at the beginning in my role, but it’s clear that we made a mistake on Saturday. It has been written that I apologized to Charles, and it’s true. I understand the effort the drivers put into qualifying, and I think it’s the right way to manage a team. When Charles makes a mistake, he comes back to the pits, and the first thing he does is admit his mistake. Some people think that apologizing is a nightmare, the end of the world, but we work as a team. We take risks that sometimes don’t pay off, but they are the right ones.”
Did you expect such a hard work after six races? And what goals have you set for the rest of the 2023 Formula 1 season?
Frederic Vasseur: “I expected hard work! The intensity of the work doesn’t change, it’s the same in Red Bull, Sauber, or any other team, the intensity is the same. As for the goals, for me, it’s not about the position, but the mentality, the fact of pushing to do a better job. As soon as we realize we have a weakness, whether it’s in the car or in the team’s approach, we have to put in all the possible effort to fix it. It’s difficult for me to talk about it because I wasn’t here last year, but I think the team has made a good step forward, for example, regarding the pit stops, and that’s because everyone has realized and accepted that what was done last year wasn’t enough.”
“They have done thousands of pit stops during the winter, and today they are working well. It means that we have to continue working with this approach, identifying the problems, and putting in all the effort to fix them in every single area. We have talked a lot about aerodynamic packages or similar things, but it would be wrong to think that the lack of performance is solely due to the aerodynamics department. Performance comes from everyone, from our ability to produce parts quickly, from the mechanics, from the strategic department, from the pit wall, from the pit stops, and from reliability. If we confirm this mentality in every single area, I’m sure we will make a good step forward before the end of the season.”
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