Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has praised Carlos Sainz’s performance in the qualifying session for the 2024 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, defending Charles Leclerc, who had a disappointing 5th place finish.
Ferrari’s Ups and Downs in Melbourne
Given how the free practice sessions had went and also the first two parts of the qualifying session today, it was expected that Scuderia Ferrari could aim for pole position in the Australian Grand Prix. However, it was “only” a front row, thanks to an impressive performance by Carlos Sainz, who secured second place despite being weakened from a recent appendectomy. Charles Leclerc had a somewhat disappointing performance in Q3, fumbling with the SF-24 at the crucial moment, even returning to the pits at the end of the last flying lap.
The Monegasque’s fifth place did not worry Ferrari’s team principal Frederic Vasseur, who defended Charles Leclerc and highlighted Carlos Sainz’s second place.
Fred Vasseur’s Comments
“The goal is always the pole, we have the pace,” he commented to Sky Sport F1. “It’s true that we did well in the free practices, as well as in Q1 and Q2, and then something happened in Q3, when it was all more important, but we cannot point fingers at the drivers.” – the French manager pointed out.
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Frederic Vasseur looks at the positive aspects of Saturday in Melbourne: “First of all, I think of Carlos who made this incredible recovery compared to two weeks ago, and we can be optimistic for tomorrow’s long run. However, I believe there is still a gap in terms of performance, we must be clear-headed and honest with ourselves. We are still a bit behind, and if we want to catch up with Red Bull, we need to push a bit too much.” – he continued.
“Both drivers performed very well in the race pace simulation, and there’s a good chance of doing well. Charles Leclerc was on the limit and made a mistake by pushing too hard. It’s understandable that he made an error in trying to reach the limit. Since the start of the weekend, he has been doing very well, so I am confident.” – Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur concluded at the end of the qualifying session for the 2024 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
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