Ferrari’s disappointment in Australia: the race didn’t go any better than qualifying, and in Melbourne, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton struggled with performance and strategy. It’s already time for the team at Maranello to roll up their sleeves and recover, as Fred Vasseur spoke after the race at Albert Park.
The rain dampened the Melbourne circuit, making for a chaotic start to the 2025 Formula 1 season. McLaren dominated the early stages before another downpour caused further chaos, along with incidents from Fernando Alonso, Liam Lawson, and Gabriel Bortoleto. Ferrari never excelled in performance and then had a golden opportunity when, with the return of rain, the McLarens went off track. For a brief moment, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were at the front of the Grand Prix, but the hope didn’t last long. The track quickly became wet, and the Ferrari drivers stayed out too long on slick tires, squandering the opportunity for a podium. A late pit stop and points were lost.
Ferrari’s strategy criticized: Fred Vasseur analyzes the Australian GP
The pit-stop choices were the focus of Fred Vasseur’s analysis: “We certainly could have done better with strategy. It’s easy to say after the race, but Max Verstappen made the right move by pitting a lap earlier than us, that would have been the best option.” – the French manager admitted.
Regarding the setup change mentioned by Leclerc on Saturday, Ferrari’s team principal was rather brief. Fred Vasseur shifted the focus to the car’s performance: “The change before qualifying? If we talk about pace in qualifying, I think we were always a bit slower than McLaren on the single lap, but less so than before. We could have fought for something more. Today, in terms of pure pace, we were about on par with Mercedes. In the race, conditions and strategy were crucial.” – the Ferrari team boss pointed out.
“It’s hard to take anything positive from this race. Now, let’s focus on the next race, the season will be long. We need to build and try to push again next weekend,” admitted a disappointed Fred Vasseur.
“McLaren ahead, Ferrari in the pack”: Fred Vasseur’s bitter admission
McLaren is the leading force in the group, and even Fred Vasseur now acknowledges it. The Ferrari team principal tried to explain the current pecking order in Formula 1. After the Australian GP, the situation in the mind of the team boss at Ferrari is clear: “The World Championship picture is not so different from what it was at the start of the weekend. McLaren is probably a step ahead, and perhaps they were already during testing. Behind them, we are all very close—us, Mercedes, and Red Bull. In the first part of the weekend, we showed good pace, and that probably represents our true value better.” – the Ferrari team boss concluded at the end of the Australian Grand Prix.
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