“We are never in panic mode,” Ferrari remains unfazed despite repeated failures on the race track
Frederic Vasseur hoped for a better start to the season but reveals there was never a moment of panic.
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Frederic Vasseur. Image via GPFans.
Frederic Vasseur has just begun his tenure with Ferrari. Though the team started the season on the back foot, the team boss was finally able to enjoy a race last weekend. Charles Leclerc finished third in Baku and got Ferrari their first podium of the 2023 season. Though the Monegasque driver put on a brilliant show, he could not keep up with the mighty Red Bulls.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are in a league of their own. The pace of the RB19 remains unbeatable. However, Baku showed that Ferrari have stepped up in the right direction. Though they did not bring major upgrades, they performed well. Leclerc kept Fernando Alonso behind him throughout the race and things are now looking good for the Maranello-based team.
Vasseur confessed that not everything went according to plan in the first three races of the season. He stated, “For sure, we were expecting to be in better shape at the beginning. And I don’t want to b******t you, but what I’m very pleased about is the reaction of the team. We are never in a panic mode, that after the first three events – and Jeddah was tough for us – but the reaction between Jeddah and Melbourne was a very good one.”
Frederic Vasseur says Ferrari will focus on understanding the car better
The Ferrari team principal added, “The approach, even on the development, there was never panic or to change everything on the car. It was not the plan. We were always focused on bringing small updates to understand what we are doing first, to understand where we can improve the potential, and to first reach the potential of the car. And I’m more than pleased with this kind of reaction, although for sure, I would love to be in better shape.”
Frederic Vasseur claims that they have been positive and calm within the team. The Maranello-based outfit will bring its first major updates to Miami. They will decide the direction they want to go based on the performance of the SF-23.
Ferrari aims to extract all the potential from the updates. They want to analyze how the car reacts to it and will continue to bring more updates in the next few races.
Ferrari’s main issue is that they struggle with consistency. The team is aware of it and they want to understand whether it is coming from the mechanical side or aero and make significant changes. However, Vasseur believes the car was much more consistent in Baku, in the corners, over the laps and throughout the race. He believes they are going in the right direction.
In case you missed it:
- “Beat our closest rivals,” Fernando Alonso names his primary goal for Miami GP after missing out on a podium in Baku
- “Max Verstappen is the man,” Helmut Marko snubs Sergio Perez and backs the Dutchman to deliver in Miami
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Sugantha Meena
(493 Articles Published)