Last year, apparently, only Ferrari managed to win a race besides Red Bull. In the 2023 Singaporean Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz Jr. emerged victorious out of nowhere and broke the winning streak of Max Verstappen. This ongoing season saw the streak of the Dutch racer break far too quickly. Moreover, the reigning three-time champion won the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. On top of that, the Austrian outfit had back-to-back one-two finishes. It seemed like the pair of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will dominate yet another season.
But thanks to Ferrari and Carlos Sainz Jr., the fans got to see some change at the top of the podium in the latest Australian Grand Prix. Moreover, there was a technical problem that caused Max Verstappen to have a DNF after a long time. Subsequently, it was the Spaniard who took full advantage of the absence of the reigning triple-time champion. However, it is still too early to say that Red Bull will face fierce competition from the Italian F1 team. Anyhow, Frederic Vasseur seems confident that his team can beat the reigning champions in the coming races.
Can Ferrari Be A Threat For Red Bull To Win The 2024 Title?
After Red Bull, it was Ferrari who had a one-two finish in 2024. The Austrian team enjoyed their hegemony in the opening GP and in Jeddah. But in Melbourne, it was the Italian team with a one-two finish. Carlos Sainz Jr. took first place, and his teammate Charles Leclerc followed him in second place. It happened after Max Verstappen had to make an early retirement. After just three laps, the reigning champion had to retire at Albert Park. Max had to retire owing to a brake issue in the RB20 car. Later, Fred Vasseur told the F1 media that the win in Australia was great for his team’s confidence.
Adding to that, the Ferrari boss mentioned they had been building up trust over the last month, and this was also the case in the last part of the previous season. Moreover, Fred Vasseur pointed out the important factor, which is “Putting everything together.” He feels they won’t be able to do it every week, but when they do, they can put Red Bull under a lot of pressure. Moreover, Vasseur thinks when Red Bull feels pressure, they can make mistakes, and that gives them a good chance to snatch away wins like they did in Melbourne. Hence, he feels his team must continue in the same direction.
Fred Vasseur Is Confident About Developing The Best Car For The Whole 2024 Season
The Ferrari boss said that he is not focused on Red Bull’s performance at all. But he is confident that the Italian team can manage on “These kind of developments.” After all, Vasseur said on Lap 1 Day 1 that they were there, as in, “We are performing.” So far, Fred Vasseur feels the process of development has been smooth.
Hence, Ferrari feels confident as a team that they are building the best car for the whole season. Last year, Ferrari was nowhere near that pace in terms of one-lap pace. But Vasseur believes they have made a huge step in 2024 to gain that pace. That helped them win in Australia, feels the team boss. Moreover, Vasseur said it is important to find consistency.
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