Fred Vasseur explains why worst weekend of 2024 won’t change Ferrari’s approach

Scuderia Ferrari returns from Canada with a result that hurts morale more than the standings, especially because it came after a strong weekend like Monaco. While Mercedes and McLaren tried to snatch victory from Red Bull, they couldn’t make the extra leap needed to beat Max Verstappen, who capitalized on every opportunity both in Montreal and Imola. Ferrari, on the other hand, faced a weekend that became significantly complicated starting from Saturday.

The sixth row in qualifying weighed on Ferrari’s ambitions, and the problems during the race further worsened the situation, with a double retirement that turned the GP into a deep red disaster.

Starting so far back inevitably meant getting stuck in traffic during the first part of the race, especially for Carlos Sainz, who also lost some positions at the start, falling well beyond his initial twelfth position, making it difficult to recover. Additionally, there were two contacts, the first of which momentarily lodged a piece in the car’s floor, as noted by the engineers in the pits, while the second with Alex Albon ended his race. The Power Unit problem on Charles Leclerc’s car also dashed Ferrari’s best hope of staying in the points and avoiding finishing the Grand Prix empty-handed.

Clearly, though, even if the Monegasque had managed to climb back into the top ten, it would have been a way to limit the damage, but not the result Ferrari was hoping for. The focus is more on the reasons why the SF-24 failed to perform at the expected levels: the lackluster performance does not sound an alarm, but it is a clear indication that there is still work to be done, not only to beat Red Bull but also to find consistency compared to a very solid McLaren, which has seemed to be the best compromise on circuits that have highlighted the weaknesses of the RB20.

A setback that does not represent the absolute value of the Italian car, but it is clear that more was expected from the Canadian weekend, even after a Friday when the drivers were satisfied and offered positive comments on the car’s potential. However, the first day of practice told only half the story, not only because of what happened during the rest of the weekend but also because of the track conditions. With the asphalt still damp, the cars were running significantly slower times than on Saturday, and even on intermediates, the track was more dry than wet, heating the tires more quickly. Strange conditions that did not reoccur on Saturday, the day that dashed Ferrari’s hopes.

Although it shares some points in common with Monaco, the Montreal circuit also presents many differences. In Monaco, there are many slow corners where mechanical grip and stability on bumps make a difference, whereas in Canada, the balance shifts more towards aerodynamics. However, it is still about low to medium speed corners, without very fast turns that can put energy into the tires. It is no coincidence that graining is discussed in Montreal because the outer surface, with many traction phases, tends to heat up before the carcass, but on a single lap, the warm-up issue becomes crucial.

On Saturday, Ferrari struggled to heat up the tires despite the increase in asphalt temperatures, never reaching the times that the teams had predicted before the weekend: it was estimated that times could drop between 1:11.7 and 1:12:00, and indeed it was so, but not for Ferrari.

The new, very smooth track surface, partially removing some of the bumps that characterized Montreal, especially in the second sector, perhaps did not help, but it was not a central element in the analysis. Furthermore, while it is true that the Canadian weekend brings to mind the difficulties of China, where the surface layer of the asphalt was reviewed for the return of F1 after several years of absence, the two events have little in common. Shanghai also features many high-speed corners where the tires can heat up, but the smooth asphalt and low temperatures mainly contributed to different management of balance and limiting axis, penalizing Ferrari’s setup. These aspects did not recur in the same way in Montreal.

The SF-24’s difficulty in extracting the best from the tires on a single lap is not new but a well-known issue this season, although at the beginning of the championship, with a more distant McLaren, the drivers still managed to achieve good results in most cases. Now, with the increasingly competitive MCL38, a step forward is needed. This is also why a setback does not sound the alarm at maximum volume but confirms that when the car does not work in its ideal window, there is still work to be done with future updates. Adding downforce helps, but it is not always the answer to all problems.

Frederic Vasseur said the team has a clearer idea of why they couldn’t find speed in humid and low-grip conditions, fostering more optimism about Sunday’s race pace, where long-distance management counts more.

“Friday’s pace was good. Conditions were difficult on Saturday, and a couple of teams had the same problem as us, but we were quite confident for the race. Problems at the start… everything went wrong, and I hope we have now bundled all the bad luck of the season into one weekend,” said the Ferrari Team Principal.

“Was it the toughest weekend? I don’t know, but it wasn’t the best. Sometimes it feels like everything is going wrong and against us, but we don’t change our approach. We are working as a team with the drivers in both positive and negative moments and will maintain the same approach for the future. I am not at all bothered by this kind of weekend, it is what it is.” – the Frenchman concluded.