It’s time for smiles at Scuderia Ferrari: the performance at the Suzuka circuit confirms the red team as the second force in this start of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, and Fred Vasseur can only be satisfied after the weekend in Japan.
For the Ferrari team principal, the race result is more than fine, although some consider the not challenging Sergio Perez for P2 is in fact a lost opportunity. Fred Vasseur reflects on the Japanese Grand Prix in his post-race interview for Sky Sports: “I think it went very well for both drivers, in qualifying we could have done something better.”
Could Carlos Sainz also have done a single pit stop? The response from the Maranello team boss is clear: “I think the fastest strategy was on two stops. That’s why we kept that for Carlos Sainz, the choice for Charles Leclerc was dictated by traffic needs, to avoid getting stuck. I believe the strategy was the right one.” – The French manager pointed out.
The gap to Red Bull has been halved at Suzuka compared to last season: “This weekend we could have done a better job, I refer to qualifying. On Sunday, tire degradation was under control: it’s almost the opposite compared to last year. We need to improve something in qualifying, especially with Charles, because then it’s not easy to start from eighth place.”
Asked about the “free fight” between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, Frederic Vasseur was categorical: “They weren’t on the same strategy, it was a simple decision. They weren’t fighting, it was also clear for Charles.”
But how much did Red Bull gain with the confidence updates? The question comes to Fred Vasseur from the Sky team: “I have no idea honestly, you should ask Christian! So far, we are very focused on our car to make the most of the package we have.”
“At the moment, we’re not yet at the optimal level: we need to focus on the setup, on managing the weekend, and on tire management. Then we can bring updates later in the season,” concluded the Ferrari team principal, anticipating what is still missing to see an evolved red car, which many expect to see at Imola.
