Ferrari “replaces” Red Bull and takes a 1-2 in Australia, along with the fastest lap. The Scuderia massively reduced Red Bull’s advantage in the standings. Carlos Sainz claimed victory after a strong start, overtaking Max Verstappen, who retired shortly after. Not too far behind, Leclerc managed to get the better of Norris and Piastri to claim 2nd. Team Principal Fred Vasseur was very satisfied with his driver’s efforts. He also noted the SF-24’s very strong tyre management, as evidenced by its minimal graining compared to rivals.
VASSEUR IDENTIFIES THE KEY AREA WHERE FERRARI HAS PROGRESSED THE MOST
Since testing, we have talked about the Ferrari SF-24 as a 1.0 version of this year’s single-seater. Major updates will arrive to unlock more performance and close the gap to Red Bull. The SF-24 was born with opposite characteristics to last season’s single-seater.
As underlined several times, it has an excellent front, lots of aerodynamic load and is very strong in medium-speed corners. In Melbourne, the car’s wide operating was also demonstrated. Ferrari was competitive on both Saturday and Sunday across three very different sectors.
However, no one managed to find such a strong balance like Ferrari in Melbourne. And on a sprint weekend, the situation would have been even more evident.
Fred Vasseur underlined the most important strength for Ferrari last weekend:
“The car is much more drivable than last year. It’s easier for the drivers.
“But also for us to develop, and we hope that this is the key to improving during the season,” said the Ferrari Team Principal.
In the first three Grands Prix, we saw a Ferrari SF-24 capable of managing the tyres very well. Bahrain, Jeddah and Australia all represent different challenges for a modern F1 car. In all three circuits, Ferrari was competitive and gave its drivers confidence:
“We have improved a lot in tyre management, but also because we have a more predictable and easier car to drive. This helps a lot with the tyres,” specified Frederic Vasseur. As a result of the car’s pleasant handling, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz can confidently push the car.
SAINZ, LECLERC AND EVEN BEARMAN: VASSEUR TAKES STOCK OF DRIVER FEEDBACK
The story of the weekend was certainly Carlos Sainz going from an operating room with appendicitis to winning in Melbourne with relative ease. He did all this in a season where his future is still unclear.
“In the winter, we already said to ourselves that we will all give 100% until the last lap. And that’s what we are doing,” said Vasseur, without ever doubting the professionalism and talent of the Spanish driver.
Obviously, all this does nothing but good for Sainz, who is increasingly showing off himself, sending signals to those – such as Mercedes, Red Bull or Audi – who are looking for a driver for next season.
“On Friday, Carlos wasn’t even sure he could drive, but it took him a few laps to get into the rhythm.
“It was important for him to be there from the beginning. That’s where he started to build this victory,” explained the Frenchman, who was also surprised by his driver’s performance, given the final result.
Frederic Vasseur also outlined the feedback of his other drivers. One is Oliver Bearman, the big surprise from Jeddah, who didn’t enjoy an especially good weekend in Australia.
“I repeat what I said in Jeddah. He has to return to F2 and concentrate on his championship. However, we must read Ollie’s weekend carefully,” specifies Vasseur, who outlined the difficulties the Englishman faces.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, failed to recapture his comfort within the car from Friday. “The second stint was more difficult because we had to cover Piastri, not wanting to lose track position.
“But it wasn’t ideal in terms of pace. In the last stint, however, he managed the degradation well and was very fast and constant,” concluded Vasseur.
The Ferrari boss underlined the merits of Leclerc’s drive, which allowed the Maranello team to obtain a precious double.
