The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix reflected Ferrari’s season so far: disappointment on Saturday, redemption on Sunday. With the Monaco Grand Prix on the horizon, a street circuit where overtaking is virtually impossible, team boss Fred Vasseur is all too aware that the qualifying result will be crucial. The Frenchman is therefore keen on making amends.
The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix had two faces for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton fought his way from twelfth to fourth place, Charles Leclerc from eleventh to sixth. Ferrari showed resilience, but the ongoing qualifying problems are far from resolved. “It’s frustrating for us. It’s clear that we’ve had a much better pace in the race than in qualifying for the last four races,” team boss Fred Vasseur began his story in the Imola paddock. “We’re worried because we couldn’t perform better this weekend.”
With the Monaco Grand Prix on the horizon, Vasseur wants to come up with a solution quickly. If the Italian racing team fails again in Q2, rivals like McLaren will disappear from sight on the Monte Carlo street circuit, where overtaking is virtually impossible. “In Monaco, it will certainly be more difficult,” the Frenchman fears. “We need to focus all our energy on qualifying and do much better than in Imola.”
Staying Calm
According to Vasseur, no new parts are needed. He sees the race speed of the SF-25 as a good starting point to understand where gains can be made. “We need to understand how to get the most out of the car. We showed on Sunday that we can be fast, so we need to achieve that on Saturday as well,” he said. “I understand that the car’s characteristics can sometimes make it a tenth faster or slower, but the difference with us is too great. This leads to frustration, we take more risks and set up the car too aggressively. This creates a negative spiral. So it’s important to stay calm.”
