Fred Vasseur is not satisfied: Las Vegas qualifying was ok, “but the race will be better”. Fred Vasseur gives verdict on Ferrari's result in qualifying for Las Vegas GP.

In the cold Nevada, getting the tires up to temperature is a tough task, especially for a car like the SF-24, which has the inherent flaw of tire preparation on the dry lap. However, the qualifying results favor Ferrari under Fred Vasseur: Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc will start ahead of the McLarens in Las Vegas, with the goal being the top step of the podium.

A pole position lost in the final moments of Q3 for Carlos Sainz and a solid fourth place for Charles Leclerc, who was overtaken at the last second by a surprising Pierre Gasly. The two red cars from Maranello will start ahead of their world rivals McLaren, who, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, could only manage sixth and eighth positions.

Race pace better than qualifying: Fred Vasseur’s ambition
At the end of the Las Vegas qualifying session, Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, spoke with satisfaction to Sky Italia’s microphones. With the Ferrari performing better on the long run, a double podium becomes a possible target: “It’s a bit optimistic,” smiled the Frenchman, “but we are in a good position. This season, we perform better in the race than in qualifying, we know that. We struggled all weekend to get the tires up to temperature on the dry lap, so it was a good session, probably better than expected, at least with Carlos. In practice, the pace was good in the race simulations, which is encouraging.”

Managing tires and temperatures: Fred Vasseur aims high
A key factor in the Las Vegas race night will be keeping the tires in the right temperature window. “Tire management will play a key role,” explained Vasseur. “Overtaking is possible if you have the speed. We have a good top speed: we need to try to keep the tires in good condition.”

Not just in the race, but also in the battle for pole: “Tire management was crucial even in qualifying. It was necessary to get the right temperature in the tires during the preparation lap. With the 8 minutes in Q3, we couldn’t prepare the way we wanted. But the race will be long, overtaking will be possible, let’s focus on the grand prix.” – the French manager pointed out at the end of the qualifying session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Fred Vasseur raises the bar and looks ahead: in Las Vegas, Ferrari should not look over its shoulder: “Am I willing to sign for repeating this result in the race? No, we need to push for more.”