Aiming to Get Charles Leclerc in the Fight, Frederic Vasseur Keeps Ferrari Away From Distractions: “It Is Wrong to Focus on…”

Engine reliability issues have plagued Ferrari’s performance yet again. In two of the season’s three races, their star driver Charles Leclerc was forced to retire due to engine failure. This series of disappointing performances pushed last season’s championship contender to a lowly 10th place in the grid. So, the Italian team’s main focus is on giving their driver a consistent car to get back in the fight. Thanks to the long summer break, they might have cracked it. 

After leaving the last round in Melbourne empty-handed, the Maranello team has made some changes to SF-23. Hopefully, these changes will also help Ferrari bridge the huge gap with their competitors. But the team principal Frederic Vasseur says that they’re not going to get distracted by the competition. “It is wrong to focus on Red Bull or on Mercedes and Aston Martin,” he said as quoted by Motorsport.com.

He further added: “We have to get the best out of ourselves and focus on ourselves. Between the second and third races I think we took a good step. In Melbourne we didn’t get the best out of the updates as a team. If we had more of this kind of updates are coming, then we have to focus on that. Baku is going to be crucial in that regard.” [translated by Google]

“We have [should be] two qualifying sessions and two races there. We have to do a better job to get all the potential out of the car. the layout of the track in Baku is completely different. For us it is important that we do our best and focus on ourselves rather than on others.”

However, looking at the past, it is difficult to believe that Ferrari is fully in control of their reliability concerns.  

Ferrari’s persistent troubles and unreliable solutions raise concern for Frederic Vasseur

This time, last year, Ferrari was comfortably leading both championships. But the reliability issues plunged the team into crisis. As a result, Charles Leclerc’s 2022 championship dreams dissolved. Having lost the championship after coming so close to it, Ferrari had one thing to do in the winter break – find a solution to their engine problems. Cut to this season, Ferrari came back with the same issues. 

A year ago, Charles Leclerc at least went toe-to-toe with Verstappen and won races. But this year he can only dream of challenging the World Champion, given the performance of SF-23. But rather than feeling disappointed, the Maranello team seems to be more motivated than ever to come back again. Vasseur is confident that with the right upgrades, the team can exploit its full potential. 

READ MORE: Ferrari’s Whipping Boy Mattia Binotto’s Harsh Criticism Called Out as Charles Leclerc’s Problems Remain the Same in 2023

Speaking about the Upgrades for Baku, Vasseur said, “It is clear that we are looking for consistency and I think we have achieved that. I want to see confirmation in Baku that we are now in a different situation.”

“Baku is an extreme track. It is often windy and through the buildings, the wind direction changes per corner. This will be good ‘training’ for everyone. I do think we went in the right direction in Melbourne. We need to get that confirmed in the next race.”

WATCH THIS STORY: How Long Will Charles Leclerc Wait for Ferrari – Will He Leave for Some Other team Post-2024?

So, to know whether Ferrari is over their reliability issues, we will have to wait until the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.