Ferrari's Dominance A Perfect Finish in Austin

Vasseur Praises Ferrari’s Controlled One-Two Triumph

21/10/2024

Ferrari delivered an impressive one-two victory in Austin, with Vasseur applauding the team’s controlled performance and race strategy.

Ferrari achieved a resounding one-two finish in Austin, with Charles Leclerc winning ahead of Carlos Sainz. Frédéric Vasseur, Scuderia’s team principal, praised the overall result but stressed the importance of staying focused despite such a performance.

“It was a perfect Sunday. We did a great job this weekend, scoring a lot of points, but we must remain focused and not think we’re champions just because of today’s result,” the Frenchman stated.

“It was tough; we knew the start would be crucial. There was some battling ahead of us, which we capitalized on, and from then on, we had fantastic pace until the end. Our pace was always under control, as was the strategy with both drivers.”

“When you have the slight advantage we had, it’s much easier to do a good job. The car has improved significantly in terms of handling compared to a few races ago, and that contributed to the result.”

“Charles got a perfect start and managed the tires well, while Carlos had to stop earlier than planned to undercut Max (Verstappen). Once he was in clean air, he could set his pace and secure second place.”

However, Vasseur also predicts that the result will be different next week, or at least that Austin’s realities won’t apply in Mexico, with its different layout and record-breaking altitude on the calendar.

“Next week in Mexico will be a completely different story, with the altitude making it a unique race, adding to the challenge where you have to focus a lot on cooling. Just because you’re fast in Austin doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be fast in Mexico.”

“This one-two finish is a great motivation for next week. As for the championship, we’re taking it race by race, but there are still plenty of points to be earned, especially from the Sprints, so everything is still possible.

“We are now fully focused on Mexico, where we hope to continue this positive trend. We’ve made good progress in terms of handling, and it’s easier for the drivers to be fast in this car than before.”

The Frenchman highlighted what impressed him most about the race from his drivers and team: “The calmness, because there’s always the temptation to push harder. But everything went smoothly, everything was under control from the pit wall to the car, and we did a great job with a good car, and it paid off.”

However, he remains cautious about thinking of the Constructors’ title just yet: “There are still a lot of points on the table; for the teams, there must be 200 points left, so anything is possible. But we need to stay focused on each race and not get ahead of ourselves, especially with special races like Qatar and next week.”

When asked about the controversy sparked by Max Verstappen regarding track limits, Vasseur remained reserved: “The layout lends itself to that; we approach right-angle corners where they tend to go straight, so I don’t have a strong opinion on it.”

Ferrari's Dominance: A Perfect Finish in Austin

Ferrari’s Dominance: A Perfect Finish in Austin Ferrari’s Dominance: A Perfect Finish in Austin

Go toTop