Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur can look back on a successful race weekend in Singapore. Carlos Sainz was, just like yesterday during qualifying, the fastest on the Marina Bay Street Circuit and managed to take pole position. Charles Leclerc started in third place, but fell one place compared to yesterday due to some setbacks.
During the previous race weekend in Monza, a podium finish was the highest achievable for Sainz and his team, today the Spaniard was victorious for the second time in his career. Team boss Vasseur was therefore delighted with the course of the Singapore Grand Prix. ‘It was a fantastic weekend, especially after Monza, which was also good for us.’ The Frenchman saw how his team had already taken a step forward in Italy, but did not know where the Scuderia would be this weekend. ‘We didn’t expect to be here in Singapore so quickly. The speed of both our drivers was good from the start of the weekend.
“Carlos did a fantastic job,” Vasseur continued to F1TV. ‘Our plan to start Charles on a set of soft tires was perfect. This way we could protect Carlos.’ Ferrari had complete control over the start of the race. The two red cars dictated the pace at the front, but then what traditionally happens every year in Singapore happened, namely a safety car. ‘I don’t want to say that we were unlucky with the safety car, but it did affect our race. Fortunately, Carlos remained in control.”
Was Leclerc ‘sacrificed’?
During the first stint, Ferrari instructed the Monegasque to keep sufficient distance from his teammate in front. In this way, Leclerc had to push the rest of the field together so that Sainz could manage his tires well at the front. George Russell, third in the order at the time, reported to his team that the Italians sacrificed Leclerc, but according to Vasseur that was incorrect. ‘That didn’t come from us. Russell said that, but he can say whatever he wants,” the team boss laughed.
