Fred Vasseur: “We need to improve everywhere”
Fred Vasseur has expressed his ambition to see Ferrari improve considerably next season in order to fight again for the constructors' title, after McLaren narrowly clinched it in Abu Dhabi.
Ferrari delivered a solid performance at the Yas Marina circuit, with Charles Leclerc making an impressive climb from 19th to 3rd place, while Carlos Sainz secured his ninth podium of the season by finishing 2nd. However, it was not enough to surpass McLaren in the standings.
The Maranello team ultimately fell short by just 14 points but still experienced a remarkably successful season, recording its highest number of wins since 2018, when Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen were still driving for the team. Speaking after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Fred Vasseur said: “It’s definitely a mixed feeling because I think overall, we had a good season, much better than last year, much better than before.”
« I am very proud of the work accomplished this season. I am also very satisfied with what we did today, because I think we maximized everything we could, but it’s also a bit frustrating to finish like this. I want to start by congratulating McLaren! It’s sincere, honestly, I think they did an excellent job. We have a good relationship, and I am very happy for them, but it’s frustrating for us. »
2024: A Solid Year
He added that the team had made a huge breakthrough in 2024, with both drivers able to consistently fight for podiums despite some fluctuations in the car’s performance depending on the circuits. Ferrari added 246 points to its total from last year and was able to take advantage of one of the most competitive seasons in recent years. However, Fred Vasseur explained that their performances were not sufficient to be world champions.
He stated: « This means we need to double our efforts for next year to gain a few tenths, better reliability, better performance in all areas, because we need to improve everywhere. But I think we are on the right track. The team is motivated and we are already starting to prepare for 2025. »
Carlos Sainz will make way for the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton next season, the latter concluding a remarkable 12-year period with Mercedes to start a new chapter with Ferrari.
Fred Vasseur made sure to acknowledge the four years of the Spanish driver within the team, summarizing that he had been an essential part of the performance both on and off the track, before wishing him all the best for the future at Williams, where he will play a key role in the mission to bring this historic team back to the front of the grid.
