Frédéric Vasseur looks back with satisfaction on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Frenchman saw that Charles Leclerc could not compete for victory over the entire race distance, but nevertheless managed to achieve a positive result. For the Italian racing team, there is now nothing left to do but analyze the data and focus on the Miami Grand Prix, which is scheduled for next weekend.
Leclerc was allowed to start the race from pole position, but the Ferrari driver had already lost his lead on the third lap when the DRS was activated. It was clear that the Italian team could not fight with the Red Bull drivers. Still, Vasseur is quite pleased with what the SF-23 has shown. “The top speed was impressive and in Baku it’s hard to fight, but now we have to understand everything and then improve,” the Ferrari team boss told Sky Sports.
Leclerc had a much better weekend than teammate Carlos Sainz. The good performance of the Monegask is certainly welcome, as the Scuderia had several problems in the first three races. “It’s definitely a good performance with the two pole positions and the podium. It is good for team morale and motivation. We must emphasize the positives of the weekend.’
Vasseur: ‘We have to improve on the long stints’
It was pointless for Leclerc on the Baku City Circuit to defend against Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. The racing speed of the Ferrari car is still not at the level of Red Bull, but that must change soon. “The pace was there from the first lap and now we need to improve on the long stints. Even though the pace was there, we weren’t able to fight for the win over any race distance. We have to take it as it is and focus on Miami now,” said Vasseur.
