Fred Vasseur likely 'hammering' electronics team amid problem that cost Ferrari F1 title
Yesterday at 01:14 PM
Scuderia Ferrari came agonizingly close to ending their 16-year drought in securing the Constructors' Championship.
Heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Frederic Vasseur knew his team had a 21-point deficit to overcome if they were to snatch the title away from McLaren.
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc would have left the paddock on Saturday fully aware of the immense challenge ahead after seeing Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri claim the front-row spots. For the Spanish driver, it was set to be his final race with Ferrari, while Charles Leclerc openly acknowledged to the media that he was in dire need of a 'miracle,' with his starting position set for 19th on the grid. The Monegasque driver had been eliminated in Q2 due to track limits infringements on his flying lap and was also handed a 10-place grid penalty for an energy store unit change.
Despite these setbacks, both drivers delivered stellar performances, finishing second and third behind Norris. However, Lando Norris' victory was still enough to secure McLaren the Constructors' Championship.
Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard praised Charles Leclerc for his flawless first lap, and Carlos Sainz could not have done more before making his transition to Williams’ car less than 24 hours later.
On the F1 Strategy Report Podcast, journalist Ben Anderson discussed what Ferrari could have done better. He suggested that Fred Vasseur would likely have been frustrated with one particular department within Ferrari, which could have cost them the title. Ben Anderson pointed to the electronics team as a key area where Ferrari's performance may have fallen short: "I mean, build better batteries, have better battery reliability is probably the only thing. I'm sure Fred Vassar will be hammering the engine department and the electronics department on that score because you don't want to bust your allocation. You bust your allocation, you're screwed.” – the F1 journalist explained.
"Unless you can take a tactical one at some point earlier in the season. That's what obviously Red Bull did with the engine for Max and Spa. But that cost him a win in that race. So, you know, it's all about reliability on that score. That may have meant then Charles Leclerc qualifies better and they can put Norris under more pressure in the race. But if Leclerc qualifies on the first two or three rows, maybe he gets wrapped up in the Verstappen-Piastri situation. So it's very difficult to kind of extrapolate." – Ben Anderson continued.
Ferrari is determined to improve their performance in the Constructors' Championship with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton.
Carlos Sainz ended the season in fifth place in the Drivers' Championship, just two points behind Oscar Piastri and 66 points adrift of Charles Leclerc. While comparing the Spanish driver to Lewis Hamilton may seem unfair, it's worth noting that the seven-time world champion was outperformed by his teammate George Russell and finished 67 points behind the Spaniard.
Eddie Jordan believes Ferrari should reconsider Lewis Hamilton’s contract in an effort to retain Carlos Sainz, but it's now too late for that.
The Ferrari team principal isn't worried about Lewis Hamilton's transition to Ferrari next year. His performances in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, particularly his racecraft, demonstrate that he still possesses the skill to compete at the highest level. Though Lewis Hamilton will need to address some qualifying challenges he faced this year, Ferrari could have a competitive package in 2024, as demonstrated by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc's results. If the car proves strong and free from untimely technical failures, Ferrari could certainly contend for both titles in the upcoming Formula 1 season.
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