Frederic Vasseur isn't turning a blind eye. In the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session on Friday, Ferrari had to settle for Charles Leclerc taking second on the grid. But the eight-tenths gap to George Russell, who secured pole, raises a red flag. The result is okay, but the performance leaves big questions.
Vasseur admitted Q3 didn't go to plan. The drastic drop in track temperature compared to FP2 forced the team to think on their feet. “It was a complicated session for everyone,” he told Sky. “The temperature dropped massively. The top three all used different strategies, and that doesn't happen often in qualifying. Russell did three consecutive laps, we did two, while McLaren did 1+1. We knew it would be a qualifying on the limit because of the track specifics, low grip, wind, and very low temperatures. But maybe the others chose better than us.”
Strategy calls became a talking point. At Baku, where the lap is long and tyres need time to reach optimal temperature, the number of warm-up laps can decide everything. Ferrari opted for two warm-up laps, while Russell gambled on three. As a result, Mercedes looked superior. “If you only look at qualifying, then yes, Mercedes are too fast. But we will fight and push until the end. The race is always a bit different,” Vasseur stressed.
Nevertheless, Vasseur doesn't want his team to give up before the race even starts. He pointed out that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has a unique character: very low tyre degradation. “We should have a fast and consistent race pace. Tyre degradation is very low in Baku, even lower this year, which might make overtaking a bit more difficult. Let's see,” he added.
Vasseur's comments paint a picture of Ferrari always being half full. In Madrid, Q3 performance was satisfactory but the result was lacking, with Hamilton fourth and Leclerc fifth. Now in Baku, the result is better but the performance is far from convincing. Ferrari never truly sinks, but they also can't smile broadly yet.
Can Ferrari turn things around? Vasseur is optimistic. “Fighting only for second place? No, the race is another story. Maybe Russell will still have the same advantage, maybe not. We will definitely fight until the last corner,” he concluded.
Baca Juga
Charles Leclerc berharap race pace Ferrari membantu tantang George Russell di F1 Azerbaijan. Kualifikasi jadi front row meski tertinggal delapan persis.
Christian Horner buka pintu kembali ke F1, sebut Ferrari satu-satunya tim yang menarik. Simak pernyataan lengkap dan spekulasi masa depannya.
Stefano Domenicali ceritakan lelucon Jimmy Fallon di makan malam GP Miami: pizza dikirim ke restoran Michelin, lengkap dengan catatan lucu.
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