In Barcelona, Ferrari secured its third podium of the season, a end result that earns them second place within the Constructors’ Championship, forward of Mercedes and Pink Bull. Within the conventional post-race press convention, Frederic Vasseur acknowledged the crew’s progress when it comes to efficiency and outcomes, however made it clear that second place just isn’t sufficient. The Group Principal set his sights on McLaren, with restoration efforts to incorporate automotive updates.
Might Progress and the Technical Directive
Fred Vasseur was one of the vocal in regards to the technical directive, suggesting it may very well be a turning level within the season. The crackdown on versatile wings hasn’t altered the pecking order on observe, however the Frenchman clarified: “Even when the gaps shift by only a tenth, that may nonetheless make an enormous distinction when it comes to outcomes—though not in opposition to McLaren, who’re two or three tenths forward. Should you take a look at the race round lap 40, we had been 5 seconds behind Norris. Meaning our tempo was clearly higher in comparison with three or 4 races in the past, like in Miami, the place we had been lapped.”
“I’m not saying it’s due to the entrance wing, however each race paints a distinct image. I feel all of us face the identical challenges in absolutely understanding the tyres. I imagine that may make extra of a distinction than the wing itself. Nonetheless, even when it’s not the primary efficiency differentiator, we have to take it under consideration, as a result of these days a tenth can fully reshuffle the grid.” – he added.
With regards to tyres, the Scuderia has proven progress in tyre utilization throughout qualifying, however Fred Vasseur preached warning: “With tyres, that you must be humble; each weekend begins from a clean sheet. Canada will likely be a distinct story. The asphalt will likely be completely different, it’ll be colder, and the corners will likely be completely different. We shouldn’t assume that what we’ve understood right here in Barcelona will apply in two weeks’ time.”
Lewis’s Disappointment and Charles’s Gamble
The Group Principal was then requested about Lewis Hamilton’s seen frustration after the race: “There’s no want to show this into an argument. I feel Lewis spent about 70% of the race forward of Russell, and I’m undecided George mentioned the race was a catastrophe. Plus, we had an issue on the automotive within the ultimate stint earlier than the Security Automotive.” Fred Vasseur revealed that Charles Leclerc additionally suffered from a technical problem—although a distinct one—which partly explains the ten seconds misplaced to the McLaren vehicles after the restart.
The Monegasque driver celebrated the rostrum after skipping a second qualifying try to avoid wasting a contemporary set of tyres for the race—a chance Fred Vasseur finds laborious to guage as a hit or not: “Immediately we had three units of contemporary tyres, and that in all probability helped us stick with the McLarens initially. We overtook two of the three vehicles forward of us, and from there the tempo was good. Whenever you make this sort of gamble, you may’t solely take the positives. You don’t get to have new tyres within the race with out paying a worth in qualifying. Typically you lose nothing over a tenth, different occasions it prices you two or three grid spots—and that’s what occurred on Saturday.”
Eyes on McLaren
Total, Fred Vasseur expressed aid about second place within the Constructors’ standings, however not satisfaction: “I choose being second to being fourth or fifth. After the double disqualification in China, we had been 50 or 60 factors behind Mercedes and Pink Bull, and now we’re forward. I feel we’ve carried out a great job during the last 4 or 5 races, however we’ve got to recollect we’re right here to win. We don’t wish to be second—we have to deal with McLaren. I’m not speaking in regards to the championship, however about efficiency. I feel within the first 40 laps right here we weren’t too far behind. Meaning we have to maintain pushing in the identical path to win races.” – the French supervisor identified on the finish of the Spanish Grand Prix.
The restoration can even depend on updates, which transcend what’s seen: “We’re persevering with to push growth on the automotive. Typically the upgrades are seen, typically we’ve got to declare them to the FIA, different occasions not.”
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