Ferrari is of the opinion that Red Bull’s dominance in the front of F1 has diminished.
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has a suspicion Red Bull is no longer in its comfort zone, having been defeated in two of the first six races of 2024.
In contrast to their remarkable performance in 2023, where they lost just one race, Red Bull’s dominance has been challenged this year. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed victory in Australia, while McLaren’s Lando Norris emerged as the winner in Miami.
Fred Vasseur: Red Bull is still ahead, but they’re under pressure
Despite Max Verstappen’s consistent pole positions in every race this season, the Dutch driver has managed to fare favorably in the championship.
Verstappen has dominated every race leading up to Miami, except for his retirement in Australia due to a brake issue. He was already overtaken by Sainz before his retirement. Even in the Miami race, the reigning World Champion appeared to be the frontrunner for victory until a Safety Car intervention in the middle of the race disadvantaged him against Norris.
But, with Ferrari bringing extensive upgrades to their already competitive car for the next race, at Imola, team boss Fred Vasseur said he has a suspicion both Ferrari and McLaren will be able to keep the pressure up on Red Bull.
He said, “In my opinion, it feels quite similar to this since the start of the season, depending on the track.”
To be honest, I believe Red Bull is still in the lead, and if it weren’t for the Safety Car incident, Max could have emerged victorious today.
I prefer not to make any conclusions, but it’s worth noting that they secured the pole position and still maintain a slight advantage.
It is true that we have made significant progress compared to one year ago. We have improved our performance and successfully managed to bring all the necessary elements together. We have reached our goal.
“We’re applying some pressure on them, urging them to adopt a more aggressive approach with their strategy.”
Last year, they were always ahead after Lap 2, regardless of what happened. However, they are no longer in that comfortable position.
In my opinion, this is a significant development in race management and presents an advantageous opportunity for us. By taking this additional step, I firmly believe that we will have the ability to compete with them consistently every weekend.
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Vasseur mentioned that despite the Ferrari’s upgrades for Imola, the impact on performance might not be significant. Nevertheless, he emphasized that with the competition being extremely tight, even a mere tenth of a second gained during qualifying can have a substantial impact.
He said that two of our competitors had brought parts over the weekend, but ultimately, it did not make a significant impact.
“I believe we have invested considerable thought into the development of our latest car, but it’s important to note that our upgrades are not usually groundbreaking.”
“It is indeed a game-changer for the weekend when you are in qualifying and there are four or five cars within a one-tenth time difference, and you manage to gain that extra one-tenth.”
However, a significant portion of the outcome also stems from our efforts in working with the drivers, fine-tuning the car’s setup throughout the weekend, and effectively managing the tires.
“We shouldn’t limit our focus solely on upgrades and development; we must also consider the progress we are making in our current tasks.”
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