It was a weekend full of emotions for Frederic Vasseur the one he just spent in Monza. The first Italian Grand Prix as Team Principal of Ferrari, which means finding yourself a great responsibility on his shoulders. Vasseur understood this on Wednesday in Monza when he saw all those people, with shirts and flags already pouring into the streets. It would not have been a Grand Prix like the others. Ferrari was coming off a disappointing performance in Zandvoort, but in Monza with a low-load set-up they could have fought for it. This has been the case since Friday. Then on Saturday came the confirmation with the Pole and the dream of giving a podium - or why not even a victory - became more concrete to the fans. If nothing else we had to try.
However, the victory did not arrive, not even the double podium. Ferrari had to "settle" for third and fourth place, and to emerge from Monza as the second force behind Red Bull. Although, in the end he was put in danger by a rather heated internal struggle between Charles Leclerc e Carlos Sainz. Both claimed third place. Sainz for the effort he put in throughout the weekend and for keeping two tough guys like Verstappen and Perez behind him as much as possible. Charles wanted to fight, to prove he had more. In those moments they not only scared the fans but also Vasseur, who was undecided until the end about what to do. Let them run or reverse positions?
A good weekend for Ferrari
A balance which according to Vasseur is decidedly positive for Vasseur who explains: “Overall it was the best weekend of the season because we had a great pace since free practice and because we had the best qualifying of the year taking first and third position. Also it's the first time we've managed to fight with the Red Bulls who had a better pace than us but nevertheless we managed to stay in the race for a good part of it. I am also very satisfied with it Carlos is he took a step forward. Not only in relation to qualifying and the race but also in preparing for the race. From the first lap of the first free practice session he was competitive and this is a good sign for the rest of the season. Charles also had a good week overall despite having had some initial difficulties. It was exactly the opposite of the last race (Zandvoort ed.) where Leclerc showed a better pace than Sainz from the start, but quickly made up ground by driving very well. I have nothing to complain about the work done by Charles.
Vasseur: “I trusted them”
There were exciting moments in Monza. The fight between the two Ferrari standard bearers became lively in the final stages. The two traveled on the same line and strategy throughout the Grand Prix, and this forced them into a fight for third position rather than a fight with Perez for second and third. According to the two drivers, the fight was fair, but the risk of both finishing out at home was still high. The expense wasn't worth the effort let's say.
However, Vasseur wanted to put his trust in the two, in the spirit of racing. "I wasn't at all convinced about giving the order to hold positions with five laps to go. I gave my riders confidence by telling them to race but not to take any kind of risk, which is always a relative thing. It was my decision that I made very naturally. In the end everything went well and... I am very proud of the work of my drivers today. If I had given the order to maintain positions you would have asked me why I had made such a decision and you would have criticized me by saying that it was a choice that went against the spirit of competitions. We can argue endlessly whether the drivers took excessive risks but as I said I am satisfied with the final result.”
Source statements: FormulaPassion
