The Italian squad had hoped that the structure and totally different calls for of the Jeddah circuit would permit it to pose an even bigger risk to Pink Bull than it was capable of at F1’s season opener in Bahrain.
Nevertheless, regardless of Charles Leclerc managing to ship a qualifying time ok for the entrance row, the Scuderia’s race tempo was missing.
Having initially seemed sturdy within the early levels on recent rubber, each Carlos Sainz and Leclerc fell away on the arduous compound after the pitstops and ended up ending sixth and seventh behind Mercedes.
The end result was removed from best and comes 12 months after Ferrari had battled Verstappen all the best way for glory in Saudi Arabia.
Vasseur stated that it was now very important for Ferrari to get an understanding of why issues had not labored out with its automobile to date and to not fake issues have been higher than they’re.
Requested what could be the very first thing he’ll ask the engineers, Vasseur stated: “To not bullshit ourselves.
“Crucial factor in this type of scenario is to know the place we’re going effectively and what we’re doing mistaken. However we can not bullshit ourselves.
“We have now to alter. We have now to know the place we’re mistaken, and we have now to push. It’s not [good enough] to talk, we is not going to be sooner like this.
“For me the image is kind of clear. The potential of the automobile is sweet, nevertheless it’s not sufficient in comparison with Pink Bull, as a result of we aren’t capable of extract the utmost from the automobile each time.”
Vasseur believed the essential space the place Ferrari tripped up in Saudi Arabia was its administration of the totally different tyre compounds – and particularly an absence of tempo on the arduous.
Frederic Vasseur, Group Principal and Normal Supervisor, Scuderia Ferrari
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“The primary stint went fairly effectively and Charles had an excellent comeback, however he was with the gentle [tyre] and no one is aware of in regards to the totally different compound,” he stated.
“Carlos was in an honest tempo on the primary stint with the medium, in comparison with the others, however we misplaced fully the bottom with the arduous [tyre].
“It’s the place we have now to know that the principle problem is. If we have now some enchancment to do, it’s clearly on the administration of the totally different compound.”
Vasseur stays satisfied that the SF-23 has the baseline that Ferrari must problem on the entrance this 12 months, however he feels the workforce lacks the flexibility for it to run at its peak all through a whole grand prix weekend.
He means that its qualifying tempo, which has proved to be near Pink Bull, presents a glimmer of the potential there may be within the automobile.
Nevertheless, he says that essential to Ferrari delivering this season is in it having the ability to unleash that form of potential over the complete grand prix weekend.
“I don’t need to push on the optimistic aspect, as a result of the end result of the weekend isn’t good and we have now to be targeted on what goes mistaken, not on the positives,” he defined.
“However I’ve to remember, to do a correct evaluation, of what’s going effectively and I feel that qualifying went fairly effectively.
“For certain we at all times need to do a greater job, and it was tough to know precisely what was the potential of the Pink Bull as a result of Max [Verstappen] didn’t do the Q3. However at the least I had the sensation that in comparison with Mercedes and Aston Martin we did a step ahead.
“We have been one=tenth off, [in qualifying] they have been three and 4 [tenths] I feel, and I feel we’re on the appropriate method when it comes to growth.
“However potential is one factor, and I feel on the potential aspect we did an honest step. The problem is we have now to remain at this most potential everywhere in the weekend, and it’s not what we’re doing at this time [Sunday].
“I feel on some events we’re there. However on some events, or some stints of the weekend, we aren’t capable of be on the most of our chance.”
