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 Purple Bull. Within the conventional post-race press convention, Frederic Vasseur acknowledged the crew’s progress by way of efficiency and outcomes, however made it clear that second place shouldn’t be sufficient. The Crew Principal set his sights on McLaren, with restoration efforts to incorporate automotive updates.
Might Progress and the Technical Directive
Fred Vasseur was probably the most vocal concerning 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 monitor, however the Frenchman clarified: “Even when the gaps shift by only a tenth, that may nonetheless make an enormous distinction by way of outcomes—though not in opposition to McLaren, who’re two or three tenths forward. If you happen to take a look at the race round lap 40, we have been 5 seconds behind Norris. Which means our tempo was clearly higher in comparison with three or 4 races in the past, like in Miami, the place we have been lapped.”
“I’m not saying it’s due to the entrance wing, however each race paints a unique 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 into 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, you’ll want to be humble; each weekend begins from a clean sheet. Canada might be a unique story. The asphalt might be totally different, it’ll be colder, and the corners might be totally 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 Crew Principal was then requested about Lewis Hamilton’s seen frustration after the race: “There’s no want to show this into an issue. I feel Lewis spent about 70% of the race forward of Russell, and I’m unsure George stated the race was a catastrophe. Plus, we had an issue on the automotive within the last stint earlier than the Security Automotive.” Fred Vasseur revealed that Charles Leclerc additionally suffered from a technical difficulty—although a unique 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 recent set of tyres for the race—a chance Fred Vasseur finds onerous to evaluate as a hit or not: “At this time we had three units of recent tyres, and that most likely helped us stick with the McLarens at the beginning. We overtook two of the three vehicles forward of us, and from there the tempo was good. While you make this type of gamble, you possibly can’t solely take the positives. You don’t get to have new tyres within the race with out paying a value in qualifying. Generally you lose nothing over a tenth, different instances it prices you two or three grid spots—and that’s what occurred on Saturday.”
Eyes on McLaren
Total, Fred Vasseur expressed reduction 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 have been 50 or 60 factors behind Mercedes and Purple Bull, and now we’re forward. I feel we’ve executed a great job over the past 4 or 5 races, however we now have 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 concerning the championship, however about efficiency. I feel within the first 40 laps right here we weren’t too far behind. Which means we have to preserve pushing in the identical course to win races.” – the French supervisor identified on the finish of the Spanish Grand Prix.
The restoration may also depend on updates, which transcend what’s seen: “We’re persevering with to push improvement on the automotive. Generally the upgrades are seen, generally we now have to declare them to the FIA, different instances not.”
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