Why Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur sees more chances against Red Bull in the upcoming Formula 1 races and what Ferrari is doing differently now than before
With Charles Leclerc’s victory in Monaco, Ferrari has cemented its position as Red Bull’s first rival in the 2024 Formula 1 season. And what’s more, the traditional Italian team has shown that it is on hand should everything not go according to plan for Max Verstappen’s world champion racing team – as it did in Monaco.
For Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur, this is a reason for hope. He says: Red Bull is now within striking distance of Ferrari.
“Last year, Red Bull still had a very decent lead. We were sometimes able to fight in qualifying, but in the race we were on average four or five tenths of a second behind per lap. And with a gap like that, you’re never really in danger [as the front runner],” says Vasseur.
“Even if you miss your actual position in qualifying: You have enough of a cushion that anything is possible again [in the race]. Max even pitted again in Austria in 2023 to set the fastest race lap [on fresh tires]. He could afford the extra pit stop. And that’s no longer possible in 2024. “
Ferrari: The Red Bull dominance is gone
In addition, Red Bull is less dominant than last year, says Vasseur. Although he did not want to “draw any conclusions from just one weekend”, the most recent Grands Prix had revealed certain weaknesses in the Verstappen team, for example the RB20’s poor handling over the kerbs in Monaco.
“But Max also made more mistakes in Imola than in previous races,” says Vasseur. “Of course, if you always drive in your comfort zone in terms of strategy and everything else, then you won’t make any mistakes.” In the meantime, however, a different wind is blowing because Ferrari and McLaren are closer to Red Bull.
What Vasseur predicts for the rest of the season
So what does that mean for the rest of the season? Especially as Red Bull expects to return to “old form” at “normal” race tracks such as Barcelona and Silverstone
Vasseur: “Red Bull will certainly fight back and be strong [again]. But I think it will be close until the end of the season.”
Ferrari in particular has improved considerably recently: “You have to consider our performance in Melbourne, our performance in Imola and in Miami with different tires, different asphalt and on different layouts.” Ferrari is in a completely different position with the SF-24 than it was with last year’s car
Really only technical progress at Ferrari?
But is the Ferrari upswing really just down to the car? Vasseur denies this and cites “partly [also] the set-up” of the current race car as a reason, as well as “the characteristics of the car”. Ferrari had made “progress in some areas” over the winter. However, he did not want to go into detail at this point.
Instead, Vasseur talks about a change in focus at Ferrari: “We have convinced everyone [in the team] that we will score points on Sunday. All the preparation for the weekend and the choice of set-up are aimed at being competitive on Sunday. That has now paid off.”
“Of course,” says Vasseur, “Ferrari concentrated primarily on qualifying in Monaco, because the grid position on the narrow street circuit is worth more than anywhere else. “But things will be different again in Canada,” promises the Ferrari team boss.