A double-DNF in Canada was central to Ferrari’s failure to win the 2024 constructors’ championship, however crew principal Fred Vasseur says the response to such difficulties bodes properly for the longer term.
Ferrari misplaced out to McLaren by 14 factors within the constructors’ battle, lacking out on an opportunity to win the championship for the primary time since 2008. Vasseur says the general crew efficiency was a transparent signal of Ferrari’s progress in comparison with the earlier season however Canada stands out because the notably expensive weekend after failing to attain.
“For certain it’s a little bit of a blended feeling, as a result of I believe that we did a great step ahead in comparison with 2023, I might say on each single pillar.” Vasseur stated. “Reliability was higher, the technique was good, pit stops went properly, the efficiency was there. We scored 60 p.c extra factors than one yr in the past; now we have 5 wins in opposition to one. I believe [by all metrics], it’s inexperienced.
“The one [negative] is that we completed the season 14 factors behind McLaren. Once more it’s not in Abu Dhabi that we misplaced one thing. On common through the season, I believe McLaren scored 26, 27 factors per weekend, and we scored greater than this in Abu Dhabi. It’s in all probability extra in Canada with double zero, or {the summertime} after we struggled just a little bit — Spain, UK, Austria.
“We struggled right here, and on this interval of 4 races, we misplaced one thing like 80 or 90 factors on McLaren. Additionally they have their downsides to the season. It’s like this when you may have 4 groups preventing, that you’re at all times up and down. You’ve a type of frustration the Sunday night in Abu Dhabi if you find yourself 14 factors behind McLaren. Over 600 [points each], it’s not that a lot.
“In case you have a have a look at this season, the primary race that got here to my thoughts once I stated, ‘OK we’re 14 factors behind,’ it’s Canada. Canada we had the double zero with a reliability situation on Charles [Leclerc’s car] and I believe a race incident for Carlos [Sainz], and I believe that McLaren didn’t have [any].
“McLaren had a race incident with [Oscar] Piastri, however … they rating factors, and if you find yourself in this type of battle with 4 groups, for those who rating zero-zero it’s fairly powerful to return again, which implies that reliability is essential and now we have to keep away from the crashes. We had one or two crashes, however in this type of championship that’s an excessive amount of.”
Regardless of the race in Montreal standing out to Vasseur, he was additionally impressed by Ferrari’s response because it fought again from a run of disappointing races to get so near successful the title. Not solely did it present a powerful understanding of the automobile’s issues, he says it’s reflective of a shift in tradition inside Maranello.
“I believe the strategy this yr, as a crew, was superb, even after we had the powerful June, July,” he stated. “The response from the crew, as a crew, was superb. We by no means blame somebody or [any] division; we work collectively to return again, we work collectively to search out options between the totally different teams, and it went properly.
“You possibly can at all times say that it could have been higher to not have the problem, however I believe the response was good, and it’s what we’re additionally anticipating for the longer term if we need to battle for the championship. And sure, it’s a part of what we need to have.
“When you’re making an attempt to repair a objective for the crew it’s to work as a crew, to behave as a crew, to not blame somebody when now we have points. It’s straightforward to say, but it surely’s not straightforward to do when you may have the stress of the consequence and the stress of the races. I used to be not there earlier than — I can’t decide on the previous — however I used to be very pleased with the response of the crew this yr.”
