P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ferrari Formula 1 boss Frederic Vasseur believes the team’s promising race at the Japanese Grand Prix showed the “huge step
Last weekend, Ferrari’s strong performance in the current campaign continued, with Carlos Sainz securing another podium finish, maintaining the team’s perfect record this season. Charles Leclerc’s one-stop strategy helped him overtake Lando Norris of McLaren to secure fourth place, solidifying Ferrari’s hold on second position in the championship standings. Despite starting behind Norris due to McLaren’s speed advantage, Ferrari showed improvement in high-speed corners with their SF-24 car. Compared to last year at Suzuka, where Ferrari was 44 seconds behind the winner, this time Sainz finished just 20 seconds behind Max Verstappen. Team Principal Vasseur acknowledged Ferrari’s progress in high-speed performance and tire management, emphasizing the need to put pressure on Red Bull and capitalize on potential mistakes. The increase in track temperature during the race was credited by Red Bull for their 1-2 finish, but Vasseur dismissed the idea that Ferrari would have been more competitive with cooler conditions. Looking ahead to the next race in China, Vasseur expressed uncertainty about Ferrari’s performance in colder temperatures, highlighting the complexity of various factors that influence race outcomes.
