Fred Vasseur gives verdict on Ferrari SF-24 updates at Monza and prospects for Italian GP. Frédéric Vasseur positively assesses the first day on track at Monza.

Frédéric Vasseur positively assesses the first day on track at Monza. Everything seems to be working well, but the cars at the top are all very close to each other.

Ferrari started the Monza weekend with two good sessions. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc stayed in the top positions, hinting at promising race pace as well.

At the end of the day, Ferrari’s team principal, Frédéric Vasseur, spoke to Sky Sport F1, covering various topics, including the debut of Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Fred Vasseur, what do you take away from these first two practice sessions at Monza?
“We’re all very close. Then in the group, there are both Red Bulls, and usually, we only see one of them in the top positions. We expected a similar situation at the front, and we have to keep in mind that the track will improve a lot.”

Are you satisfied with what you’ve seen?
“I’m satisfied with today. It’s good to have two cars in the top positions. The balance was good, and we’re in the mix. We know perfectly well that from today to Sunday evening, there’s a long road ahead. The weekend is on a knife-edge for everyone; it’s difficult to stay in front all the time. We’ll need to keep an open mind to try to achieve that.”

In your opinion, how are the updates you brought to Monza performing?
“We brought a specific floor and wing for Monza. Monza isn’t the best track to understand how we’re doing, but if we do well here, I think we’ll do well elsewhere too. Every little addition can make a difference.”

Today, graining was a surprise. Will it continue to be an issue until Sunday?
“Graining could change things. But the improvement of the track should reduce it. It’s hard to say now, but I think we’ll make significant progress from today to Sunday. I don’t know if it will be enough to eliminate it, but we will all improve in this respect.”

We saw many different approaches in the long runs today…
“Today, we saw different approaches to the start of the long runs, but you can’t be so extreme by doing an introductory lap on the tires that is 2 seconds slower (referring to Hamilton). It’s not representative. If you lose so much in the first laps, you lose 4-5 positions. We always prefer to do it in the second part of the stint and not push too hard. But there are phases of the race where some try to undercut you or you try to undercut other cars. So situations are always different, and you can’t always afford to manage the tires. Sure, there’s always an ideal way to preserve the tires, but it’s not certain that you’ll be able to do it. It’s also fine to push hard right away to understand the limit for the race.”

Finally, what do you think about Antonelli’s explosive debut?
“I think it wasn’t easy for Kimi. He did a great job in the junior series, and he’s also doing well in F2. Sure, debuting here and going out on track with the Softs might not have done him any good, but you can’t draw conclusions after just one session. I’ve already read many comments after two laps where he was leading, painting him as a star. It’s not easy to start in F1. He’s doing a lot of laps on the simulator, but the pressure in F1 is different.”