It is inevitable that Ferrari are dealing with this criticism. After Leclerc and Hamilton certified eleventh and twelfth at their first dwelling race of the season in Imola, Leclerc described the group as being “P-nowhere”.
Each drivers have bemoaned the shortage of upgrades. The primary of those for the reason that fourth race in Bahrain lastly arrived in Austria final weekend, and each drivers agreed they have been a step ahead, however that it will take time to evaluate how a lot. Extra are coming.
However, Vasseur insists the automotive is best than the group have proven in current races.
“The preliminary purpose was to battle for the championship,” he mentioned in Canada, “however I feel it is true for us, it is true for McLaren, for Purple Bull, for Mercedes. We’re all on this temper to battle for the championship originally of the season.
“In the event you examine with expectations, most likely McLaren is one step forward in comparison with all people. And we did not do a superb job on our facet.
“Simply talking about us, we did not do a superb job, in a few races.”
He factors out that, after each vehicles have been disqualified in China, they have been 60 factors behind Purple Bull and 40 behind Mercedes two races into the season. Now, they’re second within the constructors’ championship. On the flip facet, they’ve practically half the factors of McLaren.
Vasseur describes this as “an honest restoration”.
The actual fact Ferrari have a stronger mixed driver line-up than Purple Bull and Mercedes is mirrored in the truth that, regardless of their place within the constructors’ championship, Leclerc is fifth within the drivers’ – behind each McLaren drivers and the lead drivers from Purple Bull and Mercedes.
“McLaren are nonetheless one step forward,” Vasseur says. “It means now we have to proceed to attempt to do a greater job every day and enhance.
“It’s important to put all the pieces collectively in the precise place if you wish to obtain a superb end result at this time, as a result of within the tyre utilization and the tyre efficiency, or what efficiency you get from the tyres, I feel there’s far more than between the vehicles.
“The automotive would not matter. If the group is doing an excellent job on the tyres, they are going to be in entrance. Will probably be like this till the top of the season. Nevertheless it’s the identical for everyone, now we have to do a greater job.”
As for Hamilton, he sees this as a constructing 12 months for 2026, when new guidelines herald revised vehicles and engines and Ferrari anticipate to be combating on the very entrance.
He has typically not been particularly comfy with the kind of vehicles launched with the 2022 rules, which demand a unique driving type from those who got here earlier than. Subsequent 12 months’s vehicles are totally different in design once more, and might be totally different in driving character, too.
“The actual fact is with this automotive hopefully we will nonetheless battle for second within the constructors’ championship,” Hamilton says. “That may be nice.
“However I desire a automotive that may win subsequent 12 months. So that is the precedence. That is what we have come right here to get.”
