For Vasseur, the key is to play with the ride height of F1 cars
Ferrari has had a complicated start to the season, but Frédéric Vasseur sees it from the inside: « We're in a better position than last year, so we need to remain patient. »
It’s a mixed start to the season for the Scuderia, but the head of the Ferrari team, Frédéric Vasseur, remains confident. After the Japanese Grand Prix, the Frenchman emphasized that his team was on the right track. According to him, a year ago, the gap was much larger.
As Ferrari strives to close the gap with leaders McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes, Frédéric Vasseur explained that he did not set specific performance goals before the start of the season, instead focusing on optimizing the car from the first race. Comparing the current situation to that of 2024, where the gap was much more significant (six-tenths), Vasseur emphasizes the importance of constant and gradual improvement. He dismisses the idea of a revolutionary upgrade that would suddenly make up for the delay. According to him, the key lies in a comprehensive approach, combining small improvements in several areas to optimize the car’s balance and allow drivers to fully exploit its potential.
« Most of the time, progress is made by improving ten different areas by two or three hundredths each and combining everything. We improve balance, we help the driver make the most of it. »
Regarding Charles Leclerc’s qualifying lap in Suzuka, Vasseur explains: « I honestly think we weren’t that far off, but it was very difficult for us — probably for Leclerc as well — to achieve a perfect lap. »
Ferrari, like its competitors, faces the challenge of ride height. The goal is to lower the car as much as possible to maximize aerodynamic downforce, but this increases the risk of bottoming out, especially on uneven tracks. Frédéric Vasseur emphasizes that teams spend a large part of the weekend searching for the limit: Can we drive the car a bit lower? And there, is it too low?
A problem is widespread across the entire grid. It’s not a peculiarity of the Ferrari, but a common issue for everyone. It’s the same for everyone, and we all know that with this type of car, performance is heavily linked to the ground clearance, explains Vasseur.
Faced with a lukewarm start to the season, Vasseur remains faithful to the proven approach, emphasizing the need for continuous and gradual improvement, step by step, as in the previous year. « I’d rather win the first race than finish fifth. But on the other hand, we must not change our approach from last year. At that time, the situation was similar, maybe even a bit worse », he admits amusedly.
