Frederic Vasseur commented on Ferrari’s qualifying performance, with Leclerc finishing fourth and Hamilton placing eighth.
It was a mixed qualifying session for Ferrari at the Suzuka circuit, where the team didn’t particularly shine. Charles Leclerc secured fourth place, finishing three-tenths of a second behind Max Verstappen, with his best lap set in the first run of Q3. A different story for Lewis Hamilton, who struggled in the final session and ended up in eighth place, more than six-tenths behind pole position.
Frederic Vasseur, interviewed after the qualifying session, shared his thoughts on his drivers’ performances. Here’s what the Frenchman had to say: “It’s hard to say whether the car will be more competitive in the race, especially since the weather forecast for tomorrow isn’t good. It would be the first time we face such conditions in Suzuka this year. That said, we weren’t able to put everything together in Q3: we were probably in a better position in Q1 and Q2, but the car’s potential is improving, and we need to keep pushing in this direction.e.
The fourth place is not our goal, but it’s still a step forward. In Q3, it’s crucial to get every detail right: in the first attempt, Charles did very well in the last chicane, a bit less in the second, and we’ll need to analyze what happened. We’re just a couple of tenths behind McLaren, and we need to keep working.”
Vasseur then added: “Lewis was at Charles’ level in Q1 and Q2, they were almost on the same tenth, fully in the fight. In Q3, however, he wasn’t able to complete a clean lap: sometimes, just a small change in setup or a shift in the wind can compromise everything, but I haven’t spoken with him yet. For sure, the conditions didn’t help him. Forecasted rain for tomorrow? At least there won’t be the risk of grass fires anymore, and that’s already a positive aspect.
The rain will clean the track, the wind will change, and Suzuka is very sensitive to these factors. Even if we race in dry conditions, it will be a completely different story. But the forecast predicts rain. What do I hope for? In our current situation, I’d like to keep improving and understanding the car better, so perhaps a dry race would be better. With rain, it becomes a lottery, a crazy race. But it will be the same for everyone, and we’ll give our best anyway.”
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari Gallery