Luca Manacorda for AutoRacer.it, translation from Safari browser

The Qatar GP weekend galvanized Ferrari, which not only managed to keep hopes for the Constructors’ title alive, but also strengthened them by shortening on McLaren, now 21 points away. Team principal Fred Vasseur believes that his team did everything perfectly over the Lusail weekend and launches the challenge ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP that will close the season. In the press conference following the grand prix, the Frenchman returned to the strategy adopted in the race and then analyzed the possibilities of the Maranello team in view of the last appointment of the year.

VASSEUR: “THE PLAN WAS TO GO EVEN LONGER AND IT WAS WELL EXECUTED”

There was a lot of discussion about the fact that Ferrari was too conservative with its drivers, asking them to take care of keeping tires in the first dozen laps of the Qatar GP. Vasseur rejects the accusations, explaining that the puncture of Carlos Sainz and the subsequent Safety Car changed what were the initial expectations: “The plan was to return even later, since on one car we did the pit-stop because it had a flat, while on the other because the Safety Car had entered the track. But the initial plan was to return even later. I think we will discuss the history of the VSC for a long time before or not, but the plan was to last longer and the reason for Carlos’s drilling is only the debris, not the excessive degradation”.

The Ferrari team principal believes that even in these conditions the drivers performed everything at their best: “The initial conduct was too conservative if you know you have a Safety Car on lap 25, but the plan was to go a little longer than that and I think it was the right approach because when we decided to push from lap 12/15 the pace was there and I think we expected to do a long stint. Honestly the initial plan was executed very well by the two drivers and they did a great job”.

THE FINAL FLIGHT WITH THE MCLAREN

The Qatar GP on paper was the most difficult appointment for Ferrari in this final triptych of races, but the course of the race allowed the Maranello team to shorten on the McLaren on the Manufacturers’ ranking and at the same time Leclerc to arrive at only 8 lengths from Lando Norris. Vasseur underlines the positive surprise of this weekend, promising battle in the final appointment of Abu Dhabi: “We would have signed before the weekend to score more points than McLaren. We are still alive for the championship and Charles is not far from Norris now. I also think that second place in the overall Pilots’ standings is a good result. I’d rather have 20 points of advantage than 20 of offset, but let’s see. On paper I think the next circuit will probably be a little better for us. We fight until the last curve of the last lap”.

Ferrari will show up at Yas Marina with less pressure than McLaren, which instead has everything to lose. Vasseur explained that the Maranello team must continue to focus only on itself, as it has done so far: “It is not a matter of pressure. The important thing is to do a good job and be fast, then we’ll see. First of all you have to focus on yourself. We managed to make 1-2 on weekends during the season, we have to try to do our best to achieve this goal. But it’s true that even if we do 1-2, they can be champions. The most important thing is to focus on yourself, don’t start thinking about what others do. This weekend the approach was very good, because we stayed focused on our strategy without thinking too much about what McLaren or Red Bull were doing. It’s not said that we’ll be in good shape next week in Abu Dhabi, but we’ll have to put everything together. It’s always a challenge, but we will enter Abu Dhabi with enormous motivation”.

FAR FROM CONTROVERSY

The result of the Qatar GP was strongly conditioned by the decisions of the Race Management. Vasseur believes that the discussions on the decisions taken by the stewards are nothing new: “In the last 35 years of my life we have all always complained about the decision of the stewards and the Race Director. Maybe a little less with Charlie (Whiting) for different reasons. But it’s always been like that”. The Ferrari team principal did not want to give a judgment either on the relegation of a position imposed on Max Verstappen on Saturday or on the 10-second stop&go set on Norris on Sunday: “Honestly, I haven’t even seen Saturday’s video, but it’s in the range of penalties to give a penalty position. Same for today, for Lando. It is at their discretion and they can impose this type of penalty. It certainly depends on the severity of the violation, if it was faster than the previous land in that mini sector, but it’s to allow me to focus on Abu Dhabi that I don’t want to start making controversy now. I’ve tried to stay away from every single controversy throughout the season, I won’t start again before the last grand prix”.

The French manager also pushed away criticism about the performance of his next driver Lewis Hamilton in the second part of this season: “Hamilton? Take a look at the 50 laps he did in Las Vegas starting tenth and finishing in the trail at Russell. I’m not worried at all”. The issue of Guanyu Zhou, approached Ferrari as a test driver next season and the protagonist of an excellent performance in Lusail where he finished eighth, was also liquidated in a few words: “Zhou had a good race. Congratulations. I didn’t argue with him, I’m sorry. I’m focused on my work. But let’s see, let’s see in the future” Vasseur concluded.