Fred Vasseur reacts to Ferrari’s result in Brazil: “We were unlucky, but it’s not a disaster”. Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur reflects on the outcome of Brazilian GP.

Ferrari leaves Interlagos having defended itself well during what was likely the toughest remaining weekend in the 2024 Formula 1 season. Charles Leclerc’s fifth-place finish helped stabilize a situation made less difficult by McLaren’s disastrous race. Ferrari now trails the top of the Constructors’ Championship by 36 points with three races remaining, meaning anything is still possible.

After the São Paulo Grand Prix, Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur spoke to Sky Sport F1, as usual, to share his thoughts on the team’s weekend.

Fred Vasseur, Ferrari leaves Brazil having contained the situation, but could more have been achieved?
“Certainly, we could have scored more points if Carlos had finished the race and if we’d had better timing with Charles’s pit stop. But I don’t think it would have made a huge difference overall. We expected different weather, which impacted tire pressure. We saw this with McLaren, who were very quick at the start of the stint and then progressively lost performance, and the same happened with Alpine. It was about making choices, and things didn’t go our way. But it’s not a catastrophe for the championship. We’ll come back stronger in Las Vegas.”

Did Ferrari struggle with tire warming on restarts?
“At the beginning of the last restart, we were probably six or seven tenths slower than Norris, while by the end, we were six or seven tenths faster than McLaren. But it’s very difficult to predict the number of laps you’ll get before the next rain shower. We had to make choices, and today, luck wasn’t on our side. But as long as we understand what we’re doing, that’s what matters.”

How do you assess the team’s results over this trio of races?
“Overall, the last three races went well. I think we’ve scored the most points of any team, and that’s significant for us. It’s great preparation for the final three races of the season. In Las Vegas, we know we’ll have a better pace than we did this weekend, and we’ll need to score big points. This will continue through Abu Dhabi, and it’s going to be an exciting fight among the top four teams. I also want to congratulate Alpine, who have had a very challenging season, and achieving a result like this is fantastic for them.”