By Carlo Platella
Max Verstappen and Red Bull continue to wave at the competition from afar, but they see the Ferrari approaching. Frederic Vasseur invites Cavallino to continue on the wave of recovery seen in the last year, with the aim of competing with the world champions. Promotion with full marks for Oliver Bearman who, while waiting to evaluate Sainz's recovery for Australia, is already sure of returning to the wheel in the autumn.
Ferrari comeback
“There are positives and negatives”, Vasseur's comment at the end of the second Grand Prix of the season. “In the first part of the race we were fighting [nel traffico]. As soon as Charles had free air, he managed to pick up the pace. It's difficult to have a complete picture of race performance, because you know when others are pushing or not. A year ago, however, between Bahrain and Jeddah we were at 1.1 seconds, while today we were at 5-6 tenths. We have halved the gap”.
The gap from Red Bull continues to be wider in the race than in qualifying, but the Red Bull nevertheless confirms important steps forward in tire management. The Team Principal continues: “The fact that we managed to set the fastest lap at the end, while Lando and Lewis were pushing on the soft tires, is another sign that we have done a step forward in tire management”.
“Now I don't want to be pessimistic, because it was a good weekend and we have to enjoy the moment. However, it is clear that Red Bull is still ahead. In qualifying they have an advantage of 2-3 tenths over us, something more in the race. It is difficult to estimate this precisely. The positive sign, however, is that when you are in this condition, if you take a step forward you can apply pressure. A year ago it would have been useless, we were just a second away. On other occasions there will be opportunities.”
Updates coming soon
The 2023 Ferrari was an unpredictable and incomprehensible car to its creators, who were forced to study its behavior before being able to fit updates. Even on this front, the picture is completely different compared to a year ago: “The car today is easier to drive than it was a year ago and it is a good basis for development. For the drivers the car is easier to read, while for us it is easier to understand where to improve. Overall, it's a good step forward.”
“We have some updates comingbut we are definitely not the only ones”announces Vasseur. “Last year McLaren had improved a lot during the season. We too had improved, but not by half a second, a sign that with these cars and these regulations we are reaching a convergence of performance. The pace of development is low, which is why it is important for us to score points from the start, after the difficult start last year.”
“The performance comes from everything, there is no single secret. We need to improve in all areas. Aerodynamics for sure is the key. We have new parts coming, like everyone else, but the important thing is that these work in the car.” It is a Vasseur who celebrates the team's progress in the last twelve months, but who invites us not to stop: “We are entirely focused on the fact that we have to recover. It is undeniable that they still have an advantage. We need to keep pushing and developing”.
The Bearman tale
The great protagonist on the night in Jeddah was Oliver Bearman, who immediately scored points on his debut in Formula 1 at the wheel of Ferrari. “Ollie had a mega weekend,” the Team Principal's praise. “We called him on Friday at 2pm to jump in the car in FP3. We are not in Barcelona, but in Jeddah: the challenge was enormous. In qualifying he missed Q3 by a few thousandths. Today he was a little nervous before the race, thinking about the whole starting procedure, the pit stop, the steering wheel to manage… It wasn't easy, but he did well. In the final laps he was also able to push to keep Norris and Hamilton at a distance. THEI was surprised myself when I asked him to push more from the wall and not to be conservative, because he wasn't making mistakes.”
“The fact that he had a short weekend, without the first two free practices, without making any mistakes is… unreal. I was absolutely impressive. Here, in Jeddah, between the walls… In qualifying in Q2 he was doing a good lap, but then he took the red flag.” Bearman's performance was majestic, not only from a technical point of view, but above all from a psychological point of view. Vasseur says: “From the beginning he remained very calm in his approach. All the press reminded him that he was the youngest ever in a Ferrari and stuff, so There was enormous pressure on him. However, he was able to remove all this from his mind, he concentrated on the main objective”.
Bearman-Formula 1: it's just goodbye
The exaltation of the Ferrari environment in the face of Bearman's performance is inevitable, now eager to see him again with a seat in Formula 1. Vasseur, however, calls for calm: “He only played one event. The best way to help him is not to rush to conclusions. During the season he will have other opportunities to do free practice and test the car. The main focus for him remains Formula 2, which is super important”. The Team Principal also indulges in irony: “He was in pole position here in Jeddah and then I destroyed his weekend!”. However, Formula 1 will find Oliver Bearman again by the end of the year: “We need to consider this weekend as a transition, not as the end goal. He will do a couple of free practices during the season with us and Haas. If he keeps the same approach as today, I'm sure he will do well.”
Sainz possibly for Melbourne
The big absence in the Ferrari garage is that of Carlos Sainz, stopped by appendicitis. Vasseur says: “At the beginning of the weekend we were convinced that it was food poisoning. He rode in Thursday practice with a fever and stomach problems. He thought he would feel better the next day, but he called me saying that he would miss FP3 but that he would definitely compete in qualifying. At 11.30, however, she was in hospital and it was clear that the situation was not going well. As soon as the doctor told us that Carlos would not be able to drive, I immediately decided to put Ollie in the car.”
“The most important thing is to recover well and Don't rush recovery”the warning from the Team Principal, who adds: “The recovery so far has been incredible. The fact that he was able to return to the track to be with the team is a positive sign and has given us great support. He will fly home with me tomorrow and have a week of complete rest. Then we will decide whether to let him come to Melbourne or not.” A great demonstration of attachment to the team by Carlos Sainz, despite his departure from Maranello at the end of the season.
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