Saturday in Montreal was probably the toughest day for Ferrari in 2024. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were eliminated in Q2 on a day when nothing seemed to go right for the Scuderia. The two SF-24 cars will start from the eleventh and twelfth on the grid. Alongside Ferrari’s fundamental pace issues, the team failed to use fresh tyres in Q2. Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur explains why the team struggled for performance.
Vasseur: “We didn’t have the possibility of using a new set in Q2”
“Qualifying didn’t work at all. It’s not the result we expected,” explained Frédéric Vasseur after qualifying in Canada.
“We suffered a lot with the tyres. We certainly weren’t the only ones, but that’s no consolation. If you look at Russell, he took pole position on used tyres. It was difficult to understand the tyres, and in the end, we couldn’t put everything together.
“The race pace yesterday was good on both dry and wet tyres, and the race is tomorrow.”
The Ferrari team principal is eager to turn the page after a tough Saturday in Montreal. Before thinking about tomorrow’s race, Vasseur explained the decision not to use fresh tyres:
“We didn’t use an extra set because you have the last one for Q3. We were all in the same situation with what happened this morning – we all only had one set in Q2, except Mercedes. Some decided to fit a new set at the start and others at the end. We didn’t have a chance to use that second set.”
Vasseur: “The weather will be decisive in the race”
What is certain is that Ferrari will have to find the key to turning the weekend around in the race. From this point of view, Vasseur expressed confidence in light of Friday’s simulations, especially since the weather could make things unpredictable.
“In the wet yesterday, we had a strong pace for the whole lap, and it’s a different story. A lot of it is linked to tyre pressure, but in the race simulation, we were fine with both dry and wet tyres.”
Looking at what may have been the problems that held back the red car in qualifying for the Canadian GP, the Cavallino team principal stated:
“We struggled a lot to turn on the tyres for the flying lap. We need to do a better job on this aspect for the next races. It’s always a combination between compound, asphalt and track temperature.
“But today, we weren’t in the right place due to the set-up and pressure. We need to understand better for the next qualifying sessions. Over the race distance, it will be different. But in qualifying, we have to do a better job.”
Vasseur’s disappointment reflects the mood at Ferrari after a disappointing day:
“For tomorrow, first of all, we will have to see the weather because the forecast is not very good.” Rain is certainly a possibility on Sunday, and the Ferrari team principal believes this can make things interesting:
“We will have some cards to play, but the weather will certainly dictate how the race will go.”