Frederic Vasseur insists Ferrari will “focus” on themselves in Baku rather than Red Bull’s pace

Fred Vasseur does not want Ferrari to pay attention to the pace of its rivals.

Frederic Vasseur insists Ferrari will “focus” on themselves in Baku rather than Red Bull’s pace

Frederic Vasseur

Scuderia Ferrari has had a troubling 2023 F1 season so far. The Italian team has struggled to match the pace of the likes of Red Bull and Aston Martin. The Scuderia has also faced reliability issues as well as strategic calls that have further affected its results. However, as the team heads into the next round of the season, Team boss Fred Vasseur clarified that the team will look into increasing its own pace.

The 54-year-old was confident that it’s better for Ferrari to not worry about the pace of its rivals. Frederic Vasseur even thought of such a comparison would hamper the Italian team. The Frenchman said, “To be focused on Red Bull or Mercedes or Aston Martin, I think it would be a mistake.” Moreover, Vasseur was convinced that it is crucial for his team to only pay attention to its own performance. He explained, “We have to get the best from what we are doing, and to be focused on ourselves.”

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The Ferrari Team Principal mentioned that the team had improved considerably by the Australian GP. The 54-year-old reckoned that the team must sustain this trajectory. He continued, “we made a good step for me between race two and race three. And if we’re able to bring a couple of updates…”

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Vasseur further explained that the team could’ve got more pace out of the car at Albert Park. He added, “I think the issue in Melbourne was not the potential of the car, it was more the job that we did as a team to extract the best from this, and that we have to be focused on this.” Carlos Sainz almost got a podium at the race if not for a late time penalty.

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Frederic Vasseur reckons “Baku will be crucial” for Ferrari

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Things have not gone well for Ferrari so far

The Frenchman highlighted the next round of the season, the Azerbaijan GP, to be significant to Ferrari’s hopes for 2023. The 54-year-old is aware that the team must be up and running with the new F1 sprint format for the Baku weekend. Frederic Vasseur said, “Baku will be crucial, because in Baku you have the two qualifyings and the two races and we have to be able as a team to do a better job and to attract the best potential of the car.”

Vasseur emphasized on the team’s need to focus on itself for the upcoming race. He said, “most important is to get the best from what we are doing, and to be focused on ourselves not on the others.” He also wants confirmation that the team is on the right path from this round. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sits way down in the standings with only 6 points. Vasseur stated, “I want to have the confirmation in Baku that we’re in a different situation.”

Thus, the Frenchman has made it clear that Ferrari cannot pay attention to its rivals including Red Bull. The Italian team needs to first get its own endeavors in place before caring about the performance of its rivals. Vasseur is confident that the team has made progress over the three races of the season. The Azerbaijan GP will further shed light on its trajectory.

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