Ferrari team boss confident SF24 will be "strong in Las Vegas" despite Brazil setback

11/04/2024 05:11 AM

Ferrari was aware from the start that the track in São Paulo wouldn't particularly suit the characteristics of the SF-24. The verdict from the Brazilian GP weekend at the Interlagos circuit fully confirmed their predictions. Looking at the standings, the São Paulo race was indeed disappointing for Ferrari, with Max Verstappen dominating the 69 laps of a chaotic, unpredictable race marked by uncertain and ever-changing weather. The Dutch driver managed to climb from the seventeenth position and gain significant time over all his rivals, including Ferrari, which, since Friday, never seemed to be in shape at São Paulo. Charles Leclerc finished fifth, while Carlos Sainz had to retire after an error in the heavy rain during what was already a challenging race starting from the pit lane.

A disappointing result, then, for Ferrari, which until the Sprint race had emerged as the second force on the field, thanks to both the car's performance and Charles Leclerc's driving skills. In the race, however, the drivers did not appear flawless or error-free, and the SF-24 lost its (not exactly stellar) competitiveness in dry conditions, becoming difficult to drive, nervous, especially at the rear, and clearly struggling to bring the tires into the right usage window and generate the grip needed to keep up with rivals. In this scenario, the Scuderia appeared as the fourth (if not fifth, allowing for mistakes) force on the field, behind Red Bull but also Alpine and Mercedes, managing to stay ahead of McLaren (which still preserves the constructors' standings) only due to certain incidents, such as driver errors or tactical mismanagement on the Woking team's part.

A bittersweet race for Ferrari, then, with team principal Frederic Vasseur commenting on it to Sky Sport F1, beginning with a comprehensive review of the race, expressing regret over not securing points with both cars and for not nailing every decision for Charles Leclerc's race, in terms of both calls and technical choices.

“We finished ahead of McLaren, but we could have scored points with Carlos Sainz too. With Leclerc, we didn't time the first pit stop correctly, although it didn't affect the final result. We expected different weather, and the tire pressures were challenging. Even with McLaren, they were fast at the start of the stint and slow at the end, as was Alpine. Things didn't go in the right direction, but looking at the championship, this weekend wasn't a disaster, even considering qualifying. We'll come back stronger in Las Vegas.”

Among technical decisions, Frederic Vasseur highlighted tire pressure, which apparently was not optimal and penalized Charles Leclerc in the opening laps of the last stint.

“At the last restart, we were seven-tenths slower than Norris and seven-tenths faster by the end. It's hard to predict stint laps in the rain. We made choices, but luck wasn't on our side.” – the French manager pointed out at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Frederic Vasseur was also asked for a review, which he viewed positively, of the three American races, which will need to be followed by consistent performances in the season finale, especially in Las Vegas, where Ferrari must secure plenty of points.

“I'm definitely happy with these three races; we've been the team that scored the most points. It's positive for Ferrari and a great preparation for the end. We'll be stronger in Las Vegas and will need to score plenty of points. It will be like this up to Abu Dhabi. There will be a fight among the top four teams, and today, Alpine was also in the mix—I congratulate them after a tough season. This result is crucial.” – the Ferrari team boss added.

Finally, Fred Vasseur commented—although he skillfully sidestepped it publicly—on the issue of tire temperature management, for which McLaren was accused in the Brazilian paddock.

“Water in the tires? So far, I've avoided commenting on these stories. We're all moving in the same direction; I don't know this story, and I'm keeping away from it. We need to focus on ourselves, on development, and on doing the best possible job.” – he concluded.

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