For the first time since 2022, there have been four different race winners in the first eight races. It’s all down to the tireless efforts of the men at Ferrari and McLaren. They have closed the gap in the third year of the ground effect regulations to beat the runaway Red Bulls. Speaking from the Italian team’s perspective, who have two wins under their belt so far, Frederic Vasseur has highlighted what they now need to do to make winning a regular habit.
As quoted by Speed Week, he said, “We have to keep going like this now, but the worst case scenario would be to think that it will continue like this until the end. There are still many races to come on different tracks with different requirements.”
“We are now fighting more intensely against McLaren and Red Bull Racing and I expect there to be ups and downs until the end of the season. We have to get good points where we are not at the top and win on the tracks where we are doing well.”
Maximizing results is the approach Ferrari will take till the end of the current campaign. The two wins have also worked as a massive boost for the Italian outfit. The motivation was always high, however, the current output has got them within 24 points of Red Bull’s tally. Building on it, the Scuderia will keep improving and mount a proper challenge for Red Bull.
However, the French boss is aware this battle with the reigning champions will come with its challenges. The team will face weekends and tracks where they won’t be as fast as Red Bull or even McLaren. Those weekends will come down to individual quality and perfect strategies. Regardless, it’s a three-way race and only time will tell who will come out on top.
Frederic Vasseur remains cautiously optimistic about Ferrari’s chances
There is a lot of confidence and self-belief in the Ferrari camp. However, the Maranello team enjoyed a similar level of success in the opening stages of the 2022 season.
Back then, Red Bull turned the points deficit into a hefty lead and the Ferrari was unable to threaten them the entire season. Keeping their past and the length of the season in mind, Vasseur is reaming cautious about the team’s chances.
As quoted by Autosport, he said, “If you start to think that you are in a good shape, you are dead. Even when you are doing a good job, you have to do a better job the week after. If you start to be convinced that what you are doing is good, it’s the beginning of the end. On every single area we have to push the boundaries a little bit more.”
Even this relentless approach till the very end won’t guarantee success. However, this is the approach Vasseur is taking with his team, and hoping to extract the best result from the season. Only time will tell whether this effort will be good enough for P2 or will it yield a championship for Ferrari.
