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Ferrari team boss Vasseur's honest reflection: 'As a team, we had issues'
Ferrari's team boss, Fred Vasseur, has admitted that Ferrari's earlier mistakes in the season have frustrated him. These errors could hinder their chances of becoming F1 constructors champions, a feat that the Italian team hasn't achieved since 2008. The Scuderia are now just eight points behind Red Bull and 48 points behind leaders McLaren, but they could be even closer if it wasn't for some errors across the course of the season.
Ferrari's warning message: Do they have what it takes?
In F1, it's important to maintain consistency to achieve world champion status. Last year, Red Bull demonstrated perfect harmony between man and machine. Max Verstappen sailed to his third world title, winning 19 races. The Dutchman's teammate, Sergio Perez, won two further races, meaning Red Bull triumphed in 21 out of the 22 races. Coincidentally, Carlos Sainz and Ferrari were the only other team who won a race last season. They finished third in the constructor's standings, a whopping 454 points behind Red Bull.
This year, things couldn't be more different. The final five races are set to be a three-way shootout between McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari, and all three believe that they can win the constructors title. The illustrious Italian team will be heading in as the most confident. Ferrari finished with a comfortable 1-2 last time out at the United States Grand Prix. Their car was the quickest on pure pace in the race, as their recent upgrades have been optimised. Doubtlessly, this sent a warning message to their rivals.
Ferrari hasn't had the best season in history, however. They've won four races in total but had previously looked dead and buried in the running after making mistakes. After the race in Austin, Fred Vasseur commented on these errors and how it's important to move on.
An honest Vasseur reflects: 'We made mistakes this season'
"Strategy, I don't think that we lost so many points on the strategy. For sure, you have frustration, but when you have a look at the complete season, we made mistakes," Vasseur began in the paddock. "As a team, we had some issues, but I think it's true for everybody. If you have a look, I think everybody can say today, OK, if I didn't do this, or this, or this... In the end, when you have this kind of fight, with three or four teams very close, everybody can be world champion, but the most important is to avoid racing with if-if-if because everybody can win races," he explained.
Ferrari's Canadian Grand Prix was a perfect example of a weekend full of struggles. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc had to retire from the race, and Ferrari scored no points whilst their rivals extended the gap. Even recently, at the Singapore Grand Prix, Ferrari was unable to maximise their car's performance. Sainz crashed in qualifying, and Leclerc's Q3 time was deleted after he extended track limits. The Scuderia were out of position and could only finish in fifth and seventh to minimise the damage.
Ferrari aiming to repeat 'Very well executed' Austin race:
Ferrari remains in the fight, so how will it continue to operate smoothly? "Just to be focused on what we are doing, to try to improve. This weekend, I think it's a very good feeling for the team because, from the beginning, it was a very well-executed strategy. The pitstop, the start, everything went well. It's like this: we have to finish the championship if we want to improve the classification." Vasseur concluded.
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