Vasseur reveals how Turn 1 and tyre temperatures have derailed Ferrari's Jeddah weekend
On the back of a tough qualifying session at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has revelaed that the Scuderia has been struggled to extract the maximum from the tyre over a single flying lap.
Ferrari had endured a difficult weekend so far in Jeddah. While Charles Leclerc sometimes looked fairly competitive, Lewis Hamilton never looked comfortable in his car over the weekend.
With both drivers struggled for pace in the first qualifying segment, both Leclerc and Hamilton had to resort to a second set of softs to ensure they got to Q2. The new tyre was essential for Hamilton, although it became clear that Leclerc was definitely through by the time he had completed the first sector, so he was able to save the tyres for the next part.
In the middle part of qualifying, the Briton and the Monegasque were forced to resort to two sets of new softs to make the cut to Q3. The two SF-25s went out in Q3 on used tyres, but the session was immediately red flagged after Lando Norris crashed into the barriers.
Leclerc and Hamilton then fitted their last sets of new softs and left the garage for just one flying lap, with the Monegasque posting a 1’27”670 to secure fourth place, while Hamilton stopped the clocks in 1’28”201, which put him seventh on the time sheet.
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has revealed that while the positions are not too disappointing, the gaps are down to the fact that the Scuderia's SF25 has been struggled for tyre temperatures in the opening two corners which explains the enormous loss in the first sector.
“You can always do more. Since the beginning of the weekend, we’ve been losing a lot of time in Turn 1, and I think that explains the three-tenths gap from pole. Now we need to focus on the race, even though nobody has had a chance to test long-run pace. In previous races we’ve performed better on Sunday than on Saturday.
“The problem with this track is that if you push too hard on the outlap, you can’t finish the lap. But if you don’t push enough, you lose a lot in the first two corners. It’s a delicate and difficult balance to find."
Commenting about the gap between Leclerc and Hamilton, Vasseur said: “Compared to last weekend, the situation is different. In Bahrain, Lewis was quick in every session but made a mistake in Q3. Here, he never really found the right feeling, and on this circuit, without confidence, it’s hard to perform. I’m convinced he’ll do well.”
“I don’t think the issue is adaptation. After just two races, he already took pole and won the Sprint. The matter is about balance. He needs to find the right one each weekend, but I’m sure he will.”
Regarding the pecking order, Vasseur noted that the opening part of the current season saw the majority of teams struggle for consistent pace, with the only exception being McLaren which have been very competitive so far on all locations.
“Of course, I’m disappointed because the goal is never to be three-tenths off pole. The feeling is that we weren’t able to put everything together, but you can overtake in Jeddah, so let’s see what happens.
“If we look at the first few races, it’s clear that the situation changes every week. Max won in Suzuka, then struggled in Bahrain, and now he’s on pole again here. Only McLaren seems to have the consistency in performance that’s needed," Vasseur concluded.
