According to Frédéric Vasseur, it is not correct to only look at the performance levels during winter testing. Although Ferrari is not starting the new season as the favorite, she is not worried about the speed of the Red Bull Racing car. The Austrian team came out fastest in the winter test, but the team from Maranello is not concerned about that. Ferrari is satisfied with its own work during the winter testing days in Bahrain and is therefore heading towards the first race of the season with a good feeling.
The Scuderia has previously announced that it has completed three intensive days of testing and can therefore look back on productive sessions. When the SF-23 returns to the Bahrain International Circuit, it will have already covered more than seven race distances. However, Ferrari did not have a flawless test, but the drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were certainly nice in the lap times. The role of favorite goes to Red Bull, but that did not impress the Italians. “I think we can be happy with our test,” said Vasseur at Motorsport.com. “The car looks good, but we don’t know how much fuel the other teams have been running.”
The differences in the amounts of fuel in the tank naturally cause fluctuations in the weight of the cars. “You know someone started with 110 kilos of fuel when a driver does 55 laps and doesn’t stop,” Vasseur explains. ‘Only then will you get a clear picture.’ Ferrari has also had its drivers complete various runs with different amounts of fuel on board. “Some solutions worked, others didn’t,” the Frenchman continues. “It’s about getting the best out of this. We’re going to do a good analysis on that.’ The Ferrari team boss pays attention to the performance of the team itself, not to that of Red Bull or others. “If you look at your performance level in a test, you’re doomed.”
Vasseur is confident: ‘It just looks good’
The Frenchman emphasizes that the most important thing is that everything that needs to be checked is ticked off. The performance level is then not so relevant. ‘Then you will only act on the basis of the timetable,’ says Vasseur. “There are only three days to test and learn all the setup options. If we put that together, it just looks good,” said the Ferrari team boss. ‘The most important thing was that we scanned every adjustment of the car. The picture of the test is completely different from the picture of the first Grand Prix. I can’t remember who drove the fastest time in Bahrain last year, but that driver didn’t take pole position.’
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