Fred Vasseur is waiting for the celebration in Piazza Castello in Milan, which will excite Ferrari fans in the afternoon, but the Scuderia’s focus is already on Melbourne, where the two red cars are expected to be major contenders.
The team principal assessed the situation in an interview with the Italian daily newspaper *La Gazzetta dello Sport*. After previously stating at the SF-25 presentation that Ferrari is aiming for both world titles, the Frenchman now seems more cautious in his judgments, aware that Ferrari will have to fight against McLaren, which, after the Bahrain tests, appears a step ahead of the rest.
“Last year, we had a good season, but we obviously have room for improvement. Performance never depends on just one factor, and there is no magic formula for getting better. In recent years, we have made good progress, and we must continue in the same direction, but we can start with optimism.”
When La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Giulia Toninelli asked Fred what he expects from Melbourne next week, he gave himself time, choosing not to answer directly:
“It won’t be that important because the season will be a very long battle. Melbourne is a non-permanent circuit, meaning it will change a lot over the weekend, giving us atypical results. Then we go to China, where it will be cold, like in Japan for the third race. After that, we return to Bahrain, where it will be very hot. This means the first four or five races will be very different challenges.”
Ferrari is giving itself five races to evaluate its true potential, even though Lewis Hamilton’s arrival has created an almost obsessive anticipation around the team.
“When you start with a new team, it’s always a bit complex because you have to get to know many new people, learn the working methods, the processes, the new steering wheel, and so on,” Fred Vasseur explained. “But it went well. The tests were three intense days for Lewis, but I think he is now ready for Melbourne.” – he pointed out.
The Frenchman makes no distinctions between his two drivers:
“They are both capable of winning Grands Prix and fighting for the World Championship. We want to win with both, and I hope they each take victories this year. For the championship, we will have to wait until the second half of the season to understand where we stand in the fight.”
Fred Vasseur is looking forward to a very competitive season with four teams in contention:
“We may be facing the most exciting season of the last thirty years because four teams finished last year very close and now want to win. For us, it will be crucial to develop the car well and work with the drivers to be fully prepared. The rest, we’ll see on track.”
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