Frederic Vasseur believes that Ferrari did not optimize its chances in the championship
Ferrari bounced back after a difficult start to the year. However, the Italian team finishes the season in 3rd place, after losing valuable points in the battle against Mercedes.
Ferrari finished in 3rd place in the constructors’ standings in 2023. After trailing behind Mercedes for a few races, the Scuderia gradually closed the gap. Prior to the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the red team was only four points behind its rival.
Despite having an advantage at the start of the race, Ferrari was not able to make up for its deficit, finishing three points behind the German manufacturer.
A strong end to the season
Ferrari, just like McLaren and Mercedes, had a rough start to the season. In Bahrain, only Aston Martin seemed capable of challenging Red Bull. For a long time, the SF-23 was absent from the discussions. However, starting from mid-season, the Italian garage gradually got back into the race. Towards the end of the season, Ferrari secured consecutive pole positions, achieving a superb double in Las Vegas. Although the prancing horse company did not win any races, the end of the season showed promise.
However, over the course of the season, Ferrari let a few opportunities slip away. Mercedes hasn’t been an exemplary runner-up in terms of results, with George Russell finishing 8th in the drivers’ standings. The Italian team also encountered reliability issues this season.
« We started badly in Bahrain », analyzed Frederic Vasseur. « We were in 3rd place and received a penalty for the second race. This meant that Charles had almost 25 penalty points. Let’s add the points we were giving to others with the two Mercedes behind us. But it’s not just this race, you can make the list. Believe me, I’ve made the list several times and I have the ranking in my head without any problem, and overall, I think there are ups and downs throughout the season. We have given away more points than our competitors, and that means we have to work on it for next year. »
Frederic Vasseur doesn’t want to redo the season
Following these series of errors and lack of reliability, Frederic Vasseur does not want to dwell on the “what ifs”. For the Ferrari team director, the championship is over, and this third place is the team’s responsibility. It is not a matter of bad luck, but opportunism.
« I will keep the total lost points in mind because I hate running with the “what if” scenario, as anyone can think that way »,” added the Ferrari director. « This means that it is completely forbidden for the team to work with the ‘what if’, but it is important. It is not to find an excuse at all, because it is our fault. This is where we need to improve. There is clearly a huge potential in terms of points. »
At the end of the season, Ferrari showed a better pace than Mercedes and was able to challenge the untouchable Red Bull. It is also the only team, besides the Austrian outfit, to have won a Grand Prix this season.
