Fred Vasseur has explained the battery problem that complicated Ferrari’s Monza qualifying session and why the Scuderia deliberately decided against using aggressive slipstream tactics with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari team principal admitted the session developed in an unexpected way as both drivers struggled to achieve the result they had hoped for in front of the home crowd.
Problems appeared as early as Q1 and made Ferrari’s pursuit of the front row considerably more difficult. The concerns continued later in qualifying, with both cars enduring uncomfortable moments before eventually reaching Q3. Lewis Hamilton’s own difficult afternoon ended with fifth place after a challenging final qualifying segment, while Charles Leclerc also had to contend with several issues during the session.
Fred Vasseur reveals Ferrari battery problem in Monza qualifying
Ferrari initially chose to begin its first run on used tyres, but the plan was complicated by an unexpected battery issue that left the team at risk of an early elimination.
“We decided to start the first stint with used tyres, but then we had some problems with the battery; we were risking elimination. It was a really tight session, the gaps were very close,” Fred Vasseur told Sky Sport F1 Italia.
The problem was particularly significant at Monza, where Power Unit performance and energy management play a major role because of the circuit’s long periods at full throttle. Ferrari arrived at its home Grand Prix with significant attention focused on its ADUO-2 Power Unit development for Monza, making the difficulties encountered during qualifying all the more frustrating.
Beating George Russell was always expected to be difficult, especially with Kimi Antonelli providing the Mercedes driver with a tow. Max Verstappen was another rival Fred Vasseur had been particularly concerned about.
“We knew it would be difficult to beat George with Kimi’s tow. Max was also among our main rivals and, at least, we managed to keep both of our drivers ahead of him,” Fred Vasseur added.
Why Ferrari rejected slipstream tactics at Monza
Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull all used slipstreaming tactics at different stages of qualifying, but Ferrari chose not to sacrifice either Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton in order to give the other driver a tow. According to Fred Vasseur, that approach had been planned in advance and there was no reason to change it during the session because Ferrari prioritised the combined result of both cars.
“I prefer to have both cars close together. The tow game is only possible when one of the two drivers has to serve a penalty, as happened at Mercedes with Kimi. We would have taken too much risk, so from that point of view I’m happy with the way we did it.”
Charles Leclerc ultimately secured a place on the second row, although he was also unhappy with how Ferrari had executed qualifying. The Monegasque had already acknowledged that Ferrari suffered multiple problems and mistakes during the session, leaving the team with work to do before the race.
Fred Vasseur praises Pierre Gasly after surprise Monza pole
Fred Vasseur also congratulated Pierre Gasly after the Alpine driver claimed pole position. The result raised the question of whether Alpine could maintain the same level of competitiveness over the longer race distance, particularly depending on the aerodynamic configuration chosen for Monza.
“It was surprising. Alpine had been performing well since Friday, I’m happy for Pierre and tomorrow we’ll see whether they fitted a low-drag package. Tomorrow we’ll try to get a very good start and focus on our own race,” Fred Vasseur concluded.
Ferrari therefore heads into the Italian Grand Prix knowing that qualifying did not unfold as smoothly as expected, but with both cars still in a position to fight near the front. After deciding that manipulating the tow would have created too much risk, the emphasis now shifts to the start and to executing the race cleanly in front of the Tifosi.
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