Vasseur: Ferrari Maximize Points but Fall Short of Goal

Carlos Sainz securing third place las vegas f1 2024

Ferrari’s solid Las Vegas performance sees them close in on McLaren, yet frustration lingers after missing stronger results.

Fred Vasseur praised Ferrari’s performance in Las Vegas, with Carlos Sainz securing third place and Charles Leclerc finishing fourth. The Scuderia gained points on McLaren F1, narrowing the gap to just 24 points behind the Woking-based team.

“The takeaway is that we maximized the points we could achieve given our potential. Mercedes was faster than us, and we finished third and fourth behind them. We gained points on McLaren and Red Bull, so it’s a good weekend, but there’s frustration because we were close to achieving more,” said Vasseur.

“It’s a fantastic championship. It’s been a long time since we’ve had three teams capable of contending for the title with two races left. It’s good for the sport, for F1, and for the media, though I would prefer having a 70-point lead with two races to go.”

“We scored 12 points more than McLaren and 16 more than Red Bull. Let’s see what we can achieve next week in Qatar, a circuit that, on paper, doesn’t suit us best but features a Sprint, offering even more points. As a team, we need to do better in the next race.”

“This is great for the championship and bodes well for an exciting season next year, as there is a convergence in performance, with more and more potential winners. Coming to a race not knowing if you’ll finish first or eighth is good for the sport. We’ll see what happens in 2026 with regulation changes, but for now, we’ll aim to make the most of this year and 2025.”

The Frenchman also took a moment to commend Max Verstappen, highlighting the challenges the Dutchman has faced: “What he has achieved is exceptional. Even this season, the gap in points between him and his teammate speaks volumes. There were races like Brazil where he was outstanding.”

“And even in more difficult conditions, it’s not easy for a driver who has dominated for three years to find himself fighting for fourth or fifth place. Yet he makes no mistakes, maximizing his potential, and this weekend, once again, I found him brilliant.”

Leclerc’s outburst doesn’t worry Vasseur

Charles Leclerc expressed frustration over the radio after the race, upset about delaying his pit stop while Carlos Sainz pitted earlier. The Spaniard used his warmer tires to attack and overtake Leclerc. The Monegasque commented over the radio, “Being too nice gets me screwed,” but Vasseur remains unconcerned.

“I’m not worried at all. I think it’s always the same story—they comment, or they don’t. These comments often come during the cool-down lap when they don’t have the full picture. We’ll discuss it, and it won’t be an issue.”

“We need to avoid fighting each other, but at that point, I think in managing the stint, we had to consider the situation. Carlos was already on his third or fourth lap of the stint. It was just a particularly tricky situation for everyone, but we’ll discuss it tonight. It won’t be a problem.”

“When we spoke to Carlos about the pit stop, I explained he was stuck behind Lawson or Tsunoda, maybe both, and he wanted to pit while we aimed to keep him out longer. We discussed it, and the tire situation added some chaos. But when they’re in the car, they have their own perspective on the race. It’s nothing alarming.”