Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur admitted to blended emotions after the Scuderia’s efficiency in Bahrain, noting the staff’s strong haul of factors but additionally the numerous points that marked its weekend.
Whereas Carlos Sainz claimed the ultimate spot on the rostrum in Saturday’s occasion after an impeccable drive, Charles Leclerc’s night was closely impacted by an uncommon brake temperature challenge that brought on repeated locking.
Nonetheless, Vasseur noticed that Sainz’s 25-second deficit to dominant race winner Max Verstappen was half of what it had been in 2023 when the Spaniard completed fourth at Sakhir.
“You’ll be able to say, a little bit of a blended feeling after the race for positive,” commented the Frenchman as he appeared again on Ferrari race.
“The constructive is that we had been in a position to do the pole place yesterday with the quickest lap of the [Q2] session. And maybe that we compensated 50% of the hole with Pink Bull within the race, in comparison with one 12 months in the past, as a result of then we had been at 50-something seconds within the race.
“The damaging is that it isn’t sufficient, and that we had once more, too many points through the weekend. We have to repair the difficulty on Charles’s automobile with the brakes.
“However I believe total he did an excellent job, after which from the pitwall additionally, as a result of we had been in a position to handle the state of affairs to save lots of P4 in these circumstances. Truthfully, through the first stint once I noticed the state of affairs, I used to be not very optimistic.”
Tyre degradation was Ferrari’s Achilles heal final 12 months. Whereas the Scuderia has undeniably made progress on that entrance, extra work is required to bridge the hole with Pink Bull primarily based on Saturday’s race.
“That is additionally a blended feeling,” mentioned Vasseur. “One 12 months in the past, I believe within the race we had been at eight/9 tenths, maybe at this time we did 50% of the hole.
“However once more, we’re not there to be at 4 tenths. However in the event you examine with final 12 months, and the restoration that we had through the season, the truth that we’re in a position to struggle with them within the final half, I believe we have now a very good alternative.
©Ferrari
“It is also a a lot better base to develop this 12 months. I believe the automobile is way simpler for them to really feel the automobile, from the place we’re weak and the place we will enhance. Final 12 months it was far more tough to have a very good learn on the automobile.”
It appeared that Ferrari had the second quickest package deal in Bahrain. However Vasseur harassed that it was early days, all too conscious that its direct rivals – Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin – are simply warming up.
“It is very obscure, as a result of on the finish of the day, for positive we’re maybe P2 at this time as a staff, but it surely’s additionally very, very tight,” he mentioned.
“The hole between P1 and P10 was lowered by 50% in comparison with final 12 months, it means for that each single challenge that you’ll have or if the set-up just isn’t the suitable one, or if the automobile is suited extra with one observe, it should change fully the classification of the highest 10.
“It signifies that we do not have to attempt to attract a conclusion at this time. It is too early. I am fairly pleased with the factors that we scored at this time. I used to be anticipating a bit extra, however as a result of circumstances it is a good one. And let’s be centered on subsequent week and begin from scratch.”
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