By Carlo Platella
Japan certifies Ferrari as the second force of this world championship, on a track that six months ago proved to be one of the most indigestible at the Cavallino. From tire management to fast cornering, Suzuka delivers many reasons for satisfaction to the team for the progress made since the last edition. The final gap of 20 seconds from Verstappen is an important one, however amplified by the time lost in the various battles on the track. Vasseur is aware of this and encourages Ferrari to continue to put pressure on the world champions.
Different strategies for different races
The Cavallino maximizes the points within reach in Japan, recovering from difficulties in qualifying thanks to a diversified strategy between the two drivers. “I still believe that in free air conditions the optimal strategy was two stops”explains Vasseur. “To gain positions and avoid getting caught up in battles, however, with Charles the ideal was to make a single pit stop. The difference between the two wasn't huge, it depended on the situation and the position on the track. Making just one stop is more difficult, because you have to keep everything under control and you always have the temptation to push harder.”
The Team Principal confirms the low level of tire degradation suffered by the two Reds in the race, but the pace of the Ferraris was not superior to the Red Bull as the test simulations suggested. On Saturday the track was about ten degrees cooler, a factor however that Vasseur does not believe favored the Italian team: “I don't know if we were better off with the lower temperatures. In the end we didn't know their fuel loads and engine maps. The degradation was under control for us on Saturday, but it was under control for them too. Today was the same.”
The overall opinion is of a positive day for the Cavallino, with very little to complain about: “I think everything went very well on Sunday, starting with the strategy with both cars, depending on their positions on the track. The tire management was under control, the pit stops went well and the pace was there. I am convinced that we played a good race. If I had to change anything it would be on Saturday”.
Qualification to be reviewed
The picture at the end of qualifying was decidedly different, with the Ferraris fourth and eighth with Sainz and Leclerc respectively. Vasseur stops rash judgments on the Monegasque, underlining how 8th place on the grid cannot be attributed solely to the final lap: “We shouldn't draw conclusions just by looking at the rankings. Where we lost something with Leclerc yesterday was during the first qualifying lap, because he didn't have a great lap and we had to fit a second set of soft tyres. In Q3 we found ourselves with only one set and when that's the case you hold back, because if you make a mistake you find yourself tenth. Our approach to qualifying was incorrect.”
“With just one set in Q3 Leclerc finished one tenth from the second row, it wasn't a disaster”continues Vasseur. “Next time in China we will have two qualifications, which means two opportunities to do a good job.” Finally, the Scuderia's number one is keen to underline the team's performance in qualifying before the trip to Japan: “We have to remember that from Austin to Australia we were in the front row eight times in a row”.
The next steps
The Japanese weekend certifies the progress made by Prancing Horse with the new car: “We have made a huge leap forward in high-speed corners and Suzuka is an excellent example of this, as well as in tire management. It's always a compromise: when you improve on one side, you lose elsewhere. Overall, however, we have made a good step forward if we compare the last four GPs of last season and the first four of this year. They are certainly still ahead, but we can put pressure on them. When this is the case, mistakes can be made. Today it didn't go like that, but I hope it can happen in the future.” Verstappen himself, for example, revealed how Red Bull had changed the car's set-up before qualifying, after the alarm bells in free practice. A bet that paid off for the world champions, but which could potentially have also backfired.
Meanwhile, the progress in tire management is the main reason for satisfaction in Maranello: “Since the beginning of the season we have been decidedly better in tire management and degradation [all’anno scorso]. In both Jeddah and Melbourne we set the fastest lap at the end, while today we just missed out. We worked a lot on our weaknesses and improved a lot as a team, drivers and strategies. Now there are other weaknesses and we need to improve in other areas”. Vasseur however warns: “We must not think that tire management is a closed chapter. Next time in China there will be different asphalt and environmental conditions. It will be another challenge.”
Towards China
The Team Principal looks to the next race in Shanghai, where Formula 1 returns five years after the last edition. A pause that deprives the teams of references: “It will be difficult, but it will be difficult for everyone. THEThe big question mark will be the asphalt, because we know the circuit design, but we don't know the bumps. Furthermore, the temperatures will probably be cooler and we don't know the roughness of the asphalt. These will be the keys to the weekend.”
“With the tire allocation and the format that will be in China, we will have to choose which compounds to try on Friday. Preparation for the weekend will be crucial. It's true that last year we generally did well on the weekends with the Sprint, but we don't know how much was linked to the format and how much to the design of the tracks. However, we have shown that we start the weekends well, which means that we have the capabilities to be ready from the first session. In this world humility is crucial. Excluding Red Bull, there were four teams within a tenth of a tenth here in qualifying. What you do in one race doesn't necessarily mean you repeat it in the next one. We must maintain this mentality.”
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