The Ferrari team principal granted an interview to ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’, in which he takes stock of the 2023 season for the Ferrari and looks to the future: “We’re trying to figure out how to make the single-seater easier to drive in 2024. And in meanwhile we are hiring new engineers who will give us a hand”. F1 returns after the summer break on the weekend of 25-27 August for the Dutch Grand Prix (all LIVE on Sky Sport and NOW)
“We did not expect these resultsbut in these cases it is important to understand how we react as a group. And the reaction has been good. Ttopping the top takes time“. Said the team principal of Ferrari, Frederic Vasseurin an interview with The Gazzetta dello Sport in which the former Sauber takes stock of the halfway point of the F1 World Championship and also looks to the future. “Analysing the data, in qualifying we are 0.2% behind Red Bull, sometimes by 0.4, but on some occasions we did better than them – he continues -. Then in the race, on pace, the difference is much greater. One explanation may be that Ferrari is difficult to drive: and if on a flying lap you can take risks and keep it to the limit, it’s not possible in the race and we drop in performance. It’s a matter of aerodynamics. In 2022 we were fine, we tried to do even better in winter but sometimes taking something to the extreme complicates life for the pilotbecause when the car moves it becomes unpredictable”.
On the performance of the pilots
Vasseur also analyzes the mid-season performance of Charles Leclerc e Carlos Sainz. “Am I happy with them? You can always do better, both as a team and as riders – adds the team principal of the Reds -. Charles didn’t expect a season like this and at the beginning he pushed more than he should, now he seems to have digested the situation better. He is impulsive, if something doesn’t go well he doesn’t hold back but sometimes it’s better to take time and analyze the data more calmly. Carlos is very consistent and is a good reference for us. So far, if you look at qualifying, he’s been more up to Charles than in the past.”
On the 2024 machine and the ‘engineers market’
However, Vasseur also looks to the future: Maranello is already working for 2024. “For the new single-seater we are still dealing with philosophical concepts – he explains -. We have to find margins where the riders can ride without always being at the limit. We still have many months ahead of the expiry of the new Red”. And in this sense the ‘engineers market’, with Ferrari ready to welcome new technicians. “We have already taken about 25 peoplebut we are still looking for some and none of these are already working in the Scuderia – points out the Prancing Horse team principal -. We signed up with a leading name: expected to start in January 2025, but we are trying to anticipate the times. Let’s say that this has become the main part of my job at Ferrari: you have to build good relationships and get people to move. The first ones you take are the most difficult, then seeing them the others follow suit”. But there is also one more difficulty for Maranello. “The top technicians have contracts for three years or more, it’s difficult to take them away from other teams. AND for us there is an aggravating circumstance compared to the British teams: there the teams are close, if you hire someone they can stay in the same house and the children can continue to attend the same schools. But for an engineer to come here to Italy instead, first we have to convince him, then his wife and the following week the children…“.
On Hamilton’s hypothesis at Ferrari
Finally, Vasseur answers a specific question about rumors that Ferrari are in talks with Hamilton. “I talk to Lewis every race weekend, He raced for me twenty years ago and we are still close – he concludes -. Clearly, if they see us together in the paddock, there’s a lot of fuss, but the relationship has remained. I don’t want to compare him to our drivers, but the contribution of a top driver isn’t just driving, it’s also technical, strategic. It can help to hire an engineer for example. And in this case if you have Hamilton, Verstappen but also Leclerc it’s easier…”.
Formula 1
The standings of the World Championship after the GP of Belgium
Max Verstappen increases his lead again after taking the Spa race after the Sprint: the Dutchman now has 125 points over Sergio Perez. Leclerc climbs back to fifth position. Here are all the rankings. The World Championship returns to the Netherlands at the end of August: all on Sky Sport F1, Sky Sport Summer, in 4K and streaming on NOW GP BELGIUM, HIGHLIGHTS
1) MAX VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull): 314 punti
2) SERGIO PEREZ (Red Bull): 189 points
3) FERNANDO ALONSO (Aston Martin): 149 points
