In the first two races of the 2024 F1 season, Ferrari has consistently been the second fastest team behind Red Bull. Carlos Sainz finished third in Bahrain, following Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, while Charles Leclerc achieved the same result in Saudi Arabia. Despite the noticeable gap between Ferrari and Red Bull, Vasseur remains optimistic. He believes that his team can build upon their current position and challenge the reigning F1 Champions. Following the race in Jeddah, Vasseur stated, “I don’t want to be negative, as it was a successful weekend. We should be hopeful and savor these moments. However, it’s evident that Red Bull is still ahead. They have a slight advantage of two to three tenths in qualifying and a bit more in the race. It’s hard to determine if they were pushing to their maximum potential. Nonetheless, the overall feeling is positive. If we make progress, we can exert pressure on them. When we were one second behind, it was futile, but now, with a good start, we can be competitive and fight. In Jeddah, it was relatively easy for them to overtake due to their superior top speed, which was a conscious decision. However, there will be other opportunities for us in the future.” Despite Ferrari accumulating almost double the points compared to 2023, Vasseur emphasizes that his main focus is on the development of the SF-24, which has already proven to be a superior car compared to its predecessor.
He stated: “I am not concentrating at all on the championship, but I believe we accumulated approximately 45 points [Ferrari accumulated 49] overall, and last year after three races we had 25 [Ferrari had 26]. It is crucial to have a strong beginning.
“Furthermore, I believe the fact that the vehicle is, I do not want to say simple to operate and in any case it does not have any connection to the performance – but I think the vehicle today is simpler to operate than one year ago.
“This serves as a solid foundation for development, as the vehicle is much easier for the drivers to interpret, making it much simpler to identify areas in need of improvement. In this situation, it represents progress for us in the overall picture,” the Frenchman asserted.
One indication that demonstrates the SF-24 is an enhancement is the fact that it has demonstrated in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that it is gentler on its tires compared to the 2023 car. This signifies that Ferrari has taken a positive step in addressing a longstanding weakness that has plagued their recent F1 campaigns.
However, Vasseur insists that this aspect is not the sole method of improvement. He explained: “The performance is derived from various sources, and it is never a matter of having one solution that provides a five-tenths advantage on the car.
“If we wish to catch up, we must enhance every single aspect. This was our approach last year and it yielded favorable results. We made a decent stride, but we must continue to push in every single area.
“Undoubtedly, aerodynamics play a crucial role. We have upgrades in the works, but I am certain that everyone else does as well. The most important aspect is to introduce upgrades that can be effectively implemented on the car, and I believe this is where we excelled last year,” Vasseur concluded.