It is inevitable that Ferrari are dealing with this criticism. After Leclerc and Hamilton certified eleventh and twelfth at their first residence race of the season in Imola, Leclerc described the crew as being “P-nowhere”.
Each drivers have bemoaned the dearth of upgrades. The primary of those for the reason that fourth race in Bahrain lastly arrived in Austria final weekend, and each drivers agreed they have been a step ahead, however that it could take time to evaluate how a lot. Extra are coming.
However, Vasseur insists the automotive is best than the crew have proven in current races.
“The preliminary purpose was to combat for the championship,” he mentioned in Canada, “however I believe it is true for us, it is true for McLaren, for Crimson Bull, for Mercedes. We’re all on this temper to combat for the championship at the start of the season.
“If you happen to evaluate with expectations, in all probability McLaren is one step forward in comparison with all people. And we did not do a superb job on our aspect.
“Simply talking about us, we did not do a superb job, in a few races.”
He factors out that, after each vehicles have been disqualified in China, they have been 60 factors behind Crimson Bull and 40 behind Mercedes two races into the season. Now, they’re second within the constructors’ championship. On the flip aspect, they’ve practically half the factors of McLaren.
Vasseur describes this as “an honest restoration”.
The very fact Ferrari have a stronger mixed driver line-up than Crimson Bull and Mercedes is mirrored in the truth that, regardless of their place within the constructors’ championship, Leclerc is fifth within the drivers’ – behind each McLaren drivers and the lead drivers from Crimson Bull and Mercedes.
“McLaren are nonetheless one step forward,” Vasseur says. “It means now we have to proceed to attempt to do a greater job every day and enhance.
“It’s a must to put every part collectively in the correct place if you wish to obtain a superb consequence at present, as a result of within the tyre utilization and the tyre efficiency, or what efficiency you get from the tyres, I believe there may be far more than between the vehicles.
“The automotive does not matter. If the crew is doing an excellent job on the tyres, they are going to be in entrance. Will probably be like this till the tip of the season. However it’s the identical for everyone, now we have to do a greater job.”
As for Hamilton, he sees this as a constructing yr for 2026, when new guidelines herald revised vehicles and engines and Ferrari count on to be preventing on the very entrance.
He has usually not been particularly comfy with the kind of vehicles launched with the 2022 rules, which demand a special driving fashion from those who got here earlier than. Subsequent yr’s vehicles are completely different in design once more, and could be completely different in driving character, too.
“The very fact is with this automotive hopefully we will nonetheless combat for second within the constructors’ championship,” Hamilton says. “That may be nice.
“However I need a automotive that may win subsequent yr. So that is the precedence. That is what we have come right here to get.”
