Remember when Fernando Alonso said “equal engines for everyone!” Well, that is more on the side of wishful thinking, what can be equal and challenging for the drivers is the new Qualifying tire format. Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur is the man to set the bar straight with similar words but not the wishful thinking as Alonso. Vasseur is serious!
At Budapest, the Q1 session was nerve-wracking, as drivers continuously ran laps to take advantage of the improving track conditions. Charles and Carlos made it to Q2, completing two timed laps on medium tires. The track’s evolution played a significant role, leading to improvements by all drivers on their second runs. Unfortunately, Carlos missed the cut by a fraction, ending up in eleventh place, just two thousandths of a second behind Fernando Alonso. In the final phase, all drivers used Soft tires for two runs. Leclerc’s best time on his second run secured him the sixth position on the grid with a time of 1’16″992.
🎙️| Fred Vasseur:
“It’s nothing to do with the format, it’s the same for everyone.”
“We didn’t do a good job managing the tyres.”
“We are all surprised by Alfa Romeo. They have not brought any upgrades. It’s a good lesson.”
“We all focus on updates, but they didn't bring…
— Ferrari News 🐎 (@FanaticsFerrari) July 22, 2023
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Amidst the debate about whether actions speak louder than words, the recent events at Ferrari seem to underscore the power of words. As per the above tweet, Fred says: “It’s nothing to do with the format, it’s the same for everyone; We didn’t do a good job managing the tyres.” These words, clear and decisive, hold more weight than either of the Ferrari driver’s actions in the recent race.
Vasseur’s words serve as a powerful inspiration and his dedication speaks volumes, demanding the recognition Ferrari truly deserves on the track. While Ferrari might have had a tough day, their customer team has had a brilliant day in Hungary.
The Surprising Success of Alfa Romeo: A Valuable Lesson for Frederic Vasseur and Co.
Alfa Romeo’s surprising rise in the rankings, despite not introducing any specific upgrades, delivers a key lesson to teams like Ferrari: it’s not just about updates, but about fully utilizing and understanding what’s at hand. Throughout the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, Alfa Romeo demonstrated strength, especially during qualifying. Their fifth and seventh finishes indicated that the C43 car, which had been criticized for high-speed corner performance and drag levels, performed well on the Hungaroring track. This suited the car’s balance and masked its weaknesses while highlighting its strengths.
Alfa Romeo’s important upgrade package at the British Grand Prix proved successful in Hungary, exceeding expectations. Their impressive performance without specific updates taught the valuable lesson of harnessing existing resources and effective strategy for considerable progress. As Fred Vasseur said, “We are all surprised by Alfa Romeo. They have not brought any upgrades. It’s a good lesson. We all focus on updates, but they didn’t bring anything specific yet and they went from the bottom to the top positions.” Progress can be made by properly interpreting the available package, as demonstrated by Alfa Romeo’s rise from the bottom to the top positions.
As we gear up for the upcoming races, the question remains: Who will take these lessons to heart, and, in doing so, find the extra gear needed to take the checkered flag?
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