With theBelgian GP The first part of the Formula 1 season ends, a crucial moment for the teams to take stock of the situation. Ferrari, after a fluctuating start and a series of not entirely successful updates, finds itself having to deal with a bouncing phenomenon that has complicated performance on the track, leading the team to be the fourth force in the field behind McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes. Despite the results in the Belgian GP, Vasseur says he is optimistic for the continuation of the season in which updates and arrival on more favorable tracks will be important.
Vasseur: “I'm quite happy with the performance but disappointed with the position”
Ferrari came out of Spa with a podium and a sixth place, not a bad haul, favored by disqualification of Russell a few hours before the end of the GP. Of course, with Sainz the Red team could have obtained a different result but the Spaniard paid for the initial strategy and the qualifying placement. Despite this, Vasseur says he is satisfied with the race pace on one of the most difficult tracks to tackle given the bouncing problems that the SF-24 is forced to suffer.
The Ferrari Team Principal expressed his opinion on the Spa race, commenting above all on the closeness between the 4 top teams, also favored by the DRS: “If after 44 laps at Spa you finish 10 seconds behind the winner it means that your pace is decent. I'm quite happy with the overall performance, but a little disappointed with the position. The goal wasn't to finish seventh, but overall the pace was good."
Vasseur underlined the importance of solving small set-up problems which can make a big difference in the race, as demonstrated by Mercedes at Spa. The Brackley team in fact understood that the new fund would not lead to a good result. For this reason she resorted to the old specification, which led to a double, then canceled out by disqualification.
“If you are able to fix a small problem or make small steps forward with the set-up it makes a huge difference in terms of ranking – comments Vasseur at the end of the Belgian GP. However, the Team Principal acknowledged that the latest changes, including the updates brought to Spain, have not given the desired results. “The bouncing has been amplified and we need to find better solutions to limit this problem.”
Optimism for the second part of the season, with more favorable slopes
Looking ahead, Vasseur confirmed to the microphones of sky sports f1 the arrival of updates aimed at controlling bouncing. “Fixing bouncing would be a step forward on performance. We are pushing like hell to bring some news and we will do it as soon as possible. Between Monza and Azerbaijan there are tracks with favorable characteristics for our car, and I believe this will give us a chance to move up in the standings. The objective for Spa was not to lose points to Red Bull and McLaren and we achieved that. Now we need to focus on the tracks that are most favorable to us and do our utmost to make up ground. I am convinced that the next races will be much better for us."
The Team Principal also noted that the championship has become extremely competitive and that every small improvement can make a big difference. “It wasn't easy for anyone, not even for Mercedes. We are all at the limit with development. We have to adjust to the fact that bouncing is the key, not only for performance, but also for the confidence of the riders. If you gain 1-2 tenths and lose 3 because the drivers lose confidence, the balance is negative."
The challenge is therefore still very open, will Ferrari be able to stay in the game and redeem itself in the second part of the season?
