Fred Vasseur reacts to Ferrari’s Mexico win: “Now we are strong everywhere, let’s keep pushing”. Fred Vasseur reacts to Ferrari's result and performance in the Mexico Grand Prix.

“My back isn’t feeling great, but this podium is a great painkiller!” For a physical pain that has been bothering him for some time, Frédéric Vasseur has found a remedy with an instantly beneficial effect: victory.

The Prancing Horse secured its second consecutive win, the fifth of the 2024 Formula 1 season, with Carlos Sainz triumphing at the Mexican Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc nearly completed the job, finishing third and setting the fastest lap in the race.

This brings Ferrari to -29 behind McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship and elevates them to second place, having passed Red Bull. It’s a significant boost in confidence, which the Ferrari team principal commented on at Sky Sport F1.

Fred Vasseur, the second consecutive double win slipped away a few laps from the end. Do you think it was possible to achieve it?
“I believe we were quite close to the double win. Perhaps Charles could have defended against Norris. However, it was likely difficult for him to keep the tires in the right operating window because we asked him to save brakes and manage fuel, and he made a small mistake. Overall, it’s a very positive weekend. We need to stay positive and keep our focus for the remaining races.”

Now that you are so close to the top of the Constructors’ Championship, will you be even more aggressive?
“We are -29 behind McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, but we will maintain the same attitude. I hope the media focuses on the duel between Max and Lando and on Verstappen’s penalty. Let no one focus on us. We need to do our part, and we’ll see how it goes next weekend.”

“I haven’t paid much attention to the battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. But as long as they are fighting each other, that’s fine. In fact, I hope they can do even more next weekend regarding their battle… (laughs).”

Why did you ask Leclerc to slow his pace in the first stint of the race?
“We asked Charles at the beginning of the race to keep the temperatures under control because, as you know, the cars are not designed solely with this track in mind. The Hermanos Rodriguez is a very specific circuit, and a lot of management is required here. We tried to keep engine and brake temperatures below the limit, and we did a good job in that regard.”

Do you think the SF-24 will remain competitive in the final races of the season?
“Since Zandvoort, we have performed much better. In Monza, we brought updates, and it went very well. At first, we thought it was just a matter of track types, like Monza and Baku, but then we also did well in Singapore, Austin, and here in Mexico, so I think we will be strong everywhere until the end. But be careful, it won’t just be about how the car performs; I think the team’s work has been good too. We will need to start from scratch in Brazil next week.”