Formula 1 takes a breather, but Maranello is working at full speed. There are updates in the pipeline that will try to resolve or at least partially fix the critical issues of the SF-23 project, updates that will mostly arrive between Miami, Imola and Barcelona.
In Baku, due to the sprint race format which allows you to work on the setup only in the FP1 session, no major developments are expected. Fred Vasseur took stock of the Scuderia’s situation, starting with the drivers (zero doubts about Charles Leclerc’s motivations) up to the development program which will not touch the basic concepts of the single-seater: there will be no SF-23 ‘B’ version.
According to the Maranello team principal, the disappointing result in Melbourne (on which Ferrari will try to obtain the review for Carlos’ penalty) did not reflect the progress made on the track, where the Spaniard’s pace was closer to that of Red Bull.
What is the development plan? Will you be reviewing some of the basic concepts of the single-seater?
“No I do not think so. We have a flow of updates for different types of downforce, in Baku it is not advisable to introduce new ones because there is the sprint race, but in the rounds of Miami, Imola and Barcelona we will always have updates on the cars, and this was part of the program. We have made some changes in terms of setup and the situation in Melbourne has improved, so we will continue in that direction. You will not see a ‘B’ version single-seater, to answer your question, something completely different will not arrive. We will continue to update and we will do it in a massive way”.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
Charles’ start to the season did not live up to expectations for many different reasons. Do you think this moment could impact his motivations?
“I have absolutely no doubts about the integrity of Charles’s motivation. Surely the start of the season wasn’t what we wanted to have, there was the retirement in Bahrain, the penalty in Jeddah and the retirement in Melbourne, which was certainly not in the plans, but the motivation is intact”.
“I have a good relationship with Charles, and I’m sure of it. Then when we talk hotly, a few minutes after getting out of the car, both Charles and Carlos can’t be happy, and I should add that I would be very frustrated if I saw them relaxed and happy with the car. The most important thing for me is to keep everyone motivated to push in the same direction, and what I see are two drivers who are supporting the team to the fullest, Carlos has been here in Maranello all week in the simulator and Charles will do the same. Motivation isn’t a problem at all.” – the French manager explained.
Regardless of the result, the race pace in Melbourne seemed better than in Jeddah. Do you think it’s a step forward that you will take to the next stages or was it a good adaptation to the Albert Park circuit?
“We took a bit of a different direction and I think it paid off, even if the outcome of the weekend was frustrating. In the race the pace was good, then Carlos was unlucky at the first red flag and we had to make an extra pit stop. But despite everything he was able to come back, he used the tires very well and in the end he was close to Alonso. It was a good race and the direction we took for development is probably the right one. Now we have to confirm everything in Baku”.
In Melbourne the qualifying results were lower than expected. What went wrong?
“We didn’t do a good team job and we didn’t put everything together. In Jeddah and Bahrain we had the feeling that we were able to extract the maximum potential from the car, but in Melbourne that was not the case. Carlos made a mistake in the first corner and lost more than two tenths, while Charles was not on the right lap preparation strategy for several different reasons.”
How do you judge the atmosphere in the team?
“The mood within the team is incredibly good, everyone is very motivated, very concentrated, and as I said the drivers also guarantee maximum support. If the question is about the relationship I have with John and Benedetto, trust me, it’s very positive. Then we certainly didn’t get the results we expect, but we are all working together to improve the situation”.
Leave a Reply