Ferrari confident ahead of F1 Las Vegas GP: 'Track shares key similarities'
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Ferrari's momentum from back-to-back victories at the United States Grand Prix in Austin and the Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City hit a stumbling block at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Despite high hopes, the Scuderia failed to replicate their recent successes, leaving team principal Frederic Vasseur looking ahead with optimism to the upcoming weekend, where he hopes for a stronger performance.
Interlagos proved to be a challenging venue for Ferrari. After Charles Leclerc's triumph in Austin and Carlos Sainz's victory in Mexico, expectations were high for another strong showing. However, the team struggled to deliver, with Leclerc finishing a distant fifth. Ferrari managed to secure just 10 points in Brazil, a disappointing haul that fell short of McLaren's 12-point tally for the event.
As Ferrari looks to rebound, Fred Vasseur remains focused on regaining the form that propelled the team to consecutive wins just weeks ago, as the Italian side continues preparations for the race which will take place at the 6.2-kilometre Las Vegas Strip Circuit in Nevada, USA, on Saturday, November 23: “Last year we were in good shape in Vegas, for sure. I think in terms of layout, tarmac and so it’s more close to the track before,” – the French manager pointed out during the weekend in Sao Paulo. In 2023, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the race win in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but Charles Leclerc was strong and after starting from pole position he took P2 for the Maranello team.
Two weeks ago at the Interlagos circuit, Carlos Sainz's race ended in disappointment after a crash prematurely sidelined him. Team principal Frederic Vasseur remains confident, however, that the Spaniard will reclaim his form at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. This optimism is tempered by the hope that unforeseen incidents—such as the loose cover that caused damage in Sao Paulo—will not interfere with Carlos Sainz’s performance this time around: “I’m not worried about this. I think he will be back in Vegas very strong. Last year Vegas was a good example, he started on the wrong side of the weekend last year with the drain cover.” – the Ferrari team principal continued.
This season, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have both faced penalties for swearing, but the scrutiny over behavior isn't limited to the drivers. Last year, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur found himself in hot water with the stewards during the Las Vegas Grand Prix. He received a reprimand for his conduct during a press conference following damage to Carlos Sainz's car. Reflecting on the incident, the French manager joked, “I was just trying to figure out how to say what I wanted without getting into trouble.”
Now, Ferrari faces a crucial opportunity to make up ground in the Constructors’ Championship. With the gap between them and McLaren sitting at 36 points, the team is under pressure to deliver a strong result in Las Vegas and secure significant points to close the deficit: “I don't want to lose some points, I want to make points. We have to do better weekends than this weekend [at Interlagos], but it’s not a drama. We’ll have a much better weekend next race in Vegas and it’s where we’ll have to score the big one,” the Ferrari team boss concluded.
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