Fred Vasseur demands more focus: "We can't afford mistakes like in Austin"

Fred Vasseur demands more focus: “We can’t afford mistakes like in Austin” | 2023 Mexico GP. Fred Vasseur demands more focus from Ferrari ahead of Mexico GP.

Fred Vasseur shakes up Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari emerged from the Austin weekend with two podiums, but above all, many questions. Although they started from pole position in the United States Grand Prix and from the second position in the Austin Sprint race, Charles Leclerc never managed to defend the qualifying result, and in the race, he even dropped to the point of risking the sixth position from George Russell’s attack.

Everything went wrong for the Monegasque on Sunday evening, starting from a car incapable of keeping up with the best, to the disqualification in the Italian night, passing through a race strategy that, in hindsight, turned out to be the worst possible. As much as possible, Team Principal Frederic Vasseur doesn’t want to see the errors from Texas repeated in Mexico (he already mentioned in the post-GP how the team ruined Leclerc’s Sunday). And he did it using stern and firm language.

Fred Vasseur’s comments ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix:
“We left Austin with a revised ranking after Hamilton and Charles’s disqualification, which allowed Carlos to get on the podium. It’s a result he deserves for how he managed the race and it allowed us to keep chipping away at points in the chase for second place in the Constructors’ standings. In Mexico, however, I want to see more focus from the team because we can no longer afford some of the evaluation errors we saw in the United States.” – the French manager pointed out.

“What awaits us is a very special race in which unique environmental conditions influence the performance of the cars, both in terms of pure performance and tire management. Having the traditional race format, we will have the opportunity to make all the necessary assessments in the three free practice sessions, and I am convinced that we will fine-tune targeted strategies that will allow us to make the most of a Grand Prix that, on paper, seems rather complicated. All of us, starting with Carlos and Charles, must be able to seize every opportunity that arises.” – Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur concluded, as reported by the Maranello team’s official website earlier today.