21 wins in a 22-race season, 451 points gap from P2 in the constructor’s championship, multiple records with the most ultimate display of dominance in the history of F1. This record-shattering season for Red Bull is enough to strike fear into the hearts of everyone in the world of F1. However, not Ferrari. The Italian team is the longest-serving member of the circus and instilled with the Ferrari DNA, boss Frederic Vasseur has discounted Red Bull’s supremacy once again.
Vasseur in the recent past discounted Red Bull supremacy as he claimed he saw cracks in the second half where the Italian outfit secured multiple pole positions and secured podiums. This is exactly why Vasseur has discounted the RBR, Max Verstappen-led supremacy with another bold claim.
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur is not afraid of Red Bull with high ambitions for 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The Italian team is sometimes its own biggest enemy with poor strategic calls and unreliability on other occasions. Eliminate all the silly business and the team was closest to Red Bull in the 2023 season. This is exactly why while speaking to Auto Motor und Sport as seen on X (formerly Twitter), Vasseur doubled down on his boastful claim.
Vasseur has learned something encouraging from the last races. "We have to stick to Red Bull's heels and put them under pressure. We saw in the second part of the season that they can be wrong sometimes and don't always hit the setup."
STORY HERE https://t.co/20s64JApdg
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) November 29, 2023
“In the factory, words like ‘would’, ‘would’, ‘if’ are taboo,” disclosed Vasseur. Why? His reasoning says, “We have over 1,000 employees. Everyone has to do their part. If each individual finds a few thousandths, we will make a big leap.”
With this logic, Ferrari is not too far from Red Bull at all, something he firmly believes. “Red Bull doesn’t have a silver bullet. They are simply well-positioned in every respect. We have to stick to Red Bull’s heels and put them under pressure. We saw in the second part of the season that they can be wrong sometimes and don’t always hit the setup,” concluded the Ferrari boss.
Ferrari’s 9 podiums and win in Singapore definitely gave them a boost. This is exactly why Vasseur has been optimistic, especially since the Italian team’s performance in the second half. This is also why he is sticking by his boastful claims and even spreading the confidence within the team.
Vasseur knows where the Scuderia seems to be lacking
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Red Bull certainly threw the gauntlet down in 2023, in terms of dominating the field. When the season started & a few races went by, Vasseur & Co. knew they were not in the running to challenge the Austrian team by a mile. Perhaps, the Scuderia shifted its focus to 2024 midway through the year too. But the French boss stated that they know where they are lacking against RBR.
“We won’t have to upset everything in 2024. When you’re 3, 4 tenths behind… I mean, not even Red Bull have a magic wand. They’re doing a better job. We lost a lot of points because of the reliability, the operations in track, the impediments. We must not just focus on one area,” confessed Vasseur in a Motorsport interview post the Abu Dhabi GP.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY | Charles Leclerc’s Hopeful Mission: Reviving Ferrari Despite Massive Gap!
The Italian team, especially the boss is heading into 2024 with a lot of confidence and their heads held up high. Will they be able to stand true to their words or bow down in front of Red Bull once again? We can’t wait for 2024 already.