Ferrari limits damage in Brazil and looks for redemption in F1 Las Vegas GP
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“A tough Sunday, but not a disastrous weekend.” This was the summary of Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur regarding the Brazilian Grand Prix at the 4.309-kilometre Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Brazil, where Ferrari finished fifth. Despite the fact that it was an overall disappointing weekend, McLaren's troubles allowed the Italian to leave São Paulo with only a seven-point loss, which was relatively minor compared to what it could have been had pre-race predictions of a McLaren double podium come true.
The qualifying session and the race conditions were atypical, and neither Charles Leclerc nor Carlos Sainz ever had the pace on intermediates or full wets to aim for the podium. Charles Leclerc's performance improved during the second stint after about ten laps, when it was too late to challenge the George Russell – Pierre Gasly pair but it was enough to hold off Lando Norris. The Monegasque driver’s race was affected by the time it took to heat up the tires; once they reached the right temperature window, he set the fourth-fastest lap of the race, just a tenth behind the two McLaren cars and a second, just like Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, off Max Verstappen's stellar pace.
Charles Leclerc also paid for the early pit stop decision, but Frederic Vasseur does not consider it a mistake, seeing it as a choice made unlucky by Franco Colapinto's red-flag-inducing crash.
The Ferrari team principal reflected on the strategy, expressing that staying on track could have been an option, but also pointing out the fact that the risk of a red flag would have posed significant consequences. The French manager admitted that managing weekends like these is challenging, both in terms of decisions made on the pit wall and setup choices. He noted that at the beginning of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Ferrari SF-24 of Charles Leclerc was about six or seven-tenths of a second slower than the McLaren MCL38 of Lando Norris, but in the second half of the race, they gained the upper hand in terms of pace. Regarding the pit stop, he mentioned an underestimation of how slippery the pit exit was, which cost them some time and meant Charles Leclerc was not able to run in clean air as he returned in traffic. However, he reiterated that they could have pitted a few laps later but were not willing to remain on track solely in anticipation of a red flag.
Frederic Vasseur also emphasized that the results should not be overly criticized, particularly in the context of their Constructors' Championship competition with McLaren. While losing points was not ideal, he believed they had minimized the losses on a challenging weekend. He looked forward to the upcoming race in Las Vegas, where he expected a stronger performance and the opportunity to secure more crucial points.
Missing from Ferrari's Brazilian weekend was Carlos Sainz. Two off-track incidents and zero points weren't what Carlos Sainz expected after his victory in the Mexico City Grand Prix. Starting from the pit lane, his pace didn't match that of his Maranello teammate, but at least he got through his fifth power unit, an investment for the final three races of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Frederic Vasseur expressed confidence, conveying no concern about Carlos Sainz’s performance in the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, as he expected him to return in strong form in Las Vegas. The French manager recalled that, despite some initial bad luck last year, such as the drain cover incident, Carlos Sainz managed to recover well as the weekend progressed. With two weeks off, Frderic Vasseur anticipated that the Spanish driver would be fully prepared for the upcoming race.
Regarding new parts, the Ferrari team principal acknowledged that several would be needed due to incidents over the recent weekend. However, he clarified that no significant updates were planned for the remainder of the 2024 Formula 1 season, as the Maranello team’s focus in terms of development had shifted to their 2025 Formula 1 project.
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