After a hot Hungarian Grand Prix, Ferrari can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to the results of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, fourth and sixth at the finish line respectively. Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal of the Scuderia, commented on the team's performances at the end of the GP in Hungary, underlining the progress and challenges still to be faced in view of the Belgian GP in Spa, the last race before the summer break. The race in Hungary provided positive signals for Ferrari, especially in terms of race pace and reliability. Leclerc showed remarkable pace in the second stint, maintaining the fastest lap for a few laps, while Sainz had a more difficult race, conditioned by a disastrous start. Spa will be an important test bed to evaluate whether the updates introduced and the newfound race pace can bring further improvements.
Ferrari smiles again in Hungary
In Hungary, Ferrari showed a clear improvement compared to last season. “Last year we finished 65 seconds behind the Red Bulls, this year 20 seconds behind the leader and ahead of the Red Bulls,” said Vasseur. This progress, while encouraging, is still not enough. McLaren, with a speed 2-3 tenths faster throughout the weekend, remains a difficult opponent to beat. However, Vasseur pointed out how the team has made up ground in recent Grands Prix, indicating that Ferrari is on the right track. “It's not enough, it's clear that McLaren were faster than us and they were 2-3 tenths all weekend,” he said.
The warm climate of Hungary worked in Ferrari's favor. “Today we were in better shape, we fought throughout the race with Mercedes and Red Bull,” Vasseur said. However, he expressed uncertainty about the weather conditions at Spa and noted that the generally warmer post-break races could benefit the team further. “I'm not sure if we will have high temperatures next weekend, but after the break there will be some hotter races which will be better for us,” he added.
Ferrari tries to restart with the updates, Vasseur: "Riders have more confidence"
Race strategy was another key point discussed by Vasseur. Leclerc's second early pit stop, despite the first being delayed, was necessary to avoid being stuck behind Hamilton and Verstappen. Vasseur explained that staying on the track on the same tires as competitors makes overtaking difficult, requiring aggressive decisions such as undercut, although this time it didn't work as expected due to Hamilton's timely reaction. “We expected to do a longer stint, but then we caught Hamilton and Verstappen. We were stuck behind them and had to make a decision. If you stay on the track and have the same tires as the person in front of you, you can't overtake,” he explained.
Vasseur highlighted how the drivers' confidence in the car is a crucial factor but difficult to quantify in terms of tenths of a second. He praised the team's work after Silverstone, which brought an unexpected update to Budapest, the result of an intense collective effort. “We don't have to upset things, we just have to make small steps forward here and there,” he added, underlining the importance of focusing on the details to gradually improve. “We have to continue in the same direction now, because the gaps between the cars are in the order of 2-3 tenths,” she said.
In Hungary, Ferrari introduced a small change to the underside of the car to mitigate the bouncing problem, accentuated by the Barcelona updates. “The drivers have much more confidence in the car,” commented Vasseur. He also highlighted that bouncing is a common challenge for many teams and varies depending on the track and set-up. Although Spa will be a tougher test, Vasseur is optimistic about the positive effects of the upgrades. “I'm sure the story will be different in Spa, but I think we will have the same tricks up our sleeves,” he said.
Source statements: FormulaPassion
