MONZA - The opening day at the legendary Italian circuit delivered immediate drama. If the morning belonged to Ferrari with a one-two in FP1, the afternoon was Mercedes' turn to strike back. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli locked out positions 1-3 in FP2, while the two red cars had to settle for 2nd and 5th. Yet, Fred Vasseur didn't seem the least bit rattled.
According to the French team principal, the gap between sessions means all teams are playing different strategic games, especially with fuel loads and engine modes. What you see on the timing screens doesn't always reflect true performance. Vasseur insists his team is only focusing on themselves and maximizing every opportunity.
“We are all using different fuel levels and engine modes between one session and another,” Vasseur explained to journalists in the Monza paddock. “It's very difficult to read, even for us. We just need to focus on ourselves and try to get the most out of it. We should have some sort of convergence in approach for FP3, but we'll see. There's still a long way to go until Sunday.”
Vasseur also noted that for race pace, each team seems to have different options regarding energy management. He believes there will be overtaking opportunities in the race. This statement comes amid speculation that Mercedes plans to use Antonelli as a 'wingman' for Russell in qualifying, given the Italian driver is already set to start from the very back due to a power unit change.
When asked if Ferrari would do the same, Vasseur firmly said no. He prioritizes the team's overall strength. “We have two cars, that's an advantage. I want to use both cars. We want to put them both on the front row. Of course, if we had one car that had to start from the back, we would use it to help the other, like Hadjar did for Max at Spa. That's a smart move, but I prefer to have two cars up front,” he asserted.
Vasseur's comments show Ferrari's high confidence heading into their home race weekend. Despite Mercedes' impressive pace, the real fight will only be seen in qualifying and the race. One thing is certain: the competitive atmosphere between these two top teams will make the Italian Grand Prix even more thrilling to watch.
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