Ferrari’s High Hopes for Leclerc and Sainz at the Saudi Arabian GP: Vasseur’s Optimistic Outlook

In a recent statement, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur expressed high expectations for his drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, at the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. His confidence stems from the team’s notable off-season progress and the reduced gap to the frontrunners.

Key Takeaways:

• Fred Vasseur praised Ferrari’s offseason advancements, noting a closer qualifying gap to the leaders, yet acknowledging a remaining race pace difference to Max Verstappen.
• The unique challenges of the Saudi Arabian GP’s smooth track and high-speed corners will test the SF-24’s aerodynamics and downforce capabilities.
• Vasseur expects strong performances from Leclerc and Sainz at the Jeddah Corniche circuit, citing their successful history at the venue.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has publicly set ambitious goals for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the forthcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, following an optimistic start to the season. This sentiment comes after Ferrari’s promising performance at the season opener, where their off-season efforts seemed to narrow the gap to the leaders, especially during qualifying sessions.

Vasseur’s comments not only shed light on the team’s direction and morale but also highlight their strategy for the upcoming races. He stated, “The first race of the season confirmed that we worked in the right direction over the winter. In Sakhir, we saw that the gaps in qualifying have closed up even more, although the distance to Max Verstappen in the race is still significant. However, it’s encouraging that we have reduced that gap compared to last year, which is a good starting point.”

The upcoming race in Jeddah promises to be a crucial test for Ferrari’s SF-24, given the track’s distinct characteristics, such as its smooth surface and high-speed corners. These factors are expected to challenge the car’s aerodynamic efficiency and downforce. Vasseur’s confidence in his drivers is supported by their previous achievements at the Jeddah Corniche circuit. He added, “In Jeddah we will face a completely different test and we want to check if the positive signs we have seen from the SF-24 in the past couple of weeks are repeated on this very different track. The track surface is very smooth so tyre degradation should be negligible, while for the first time we will deal with very high-speed corners that will highlight the cars’ downforce and aerodynamic efficiency. Charles and Carlos have always gone well at the Jeddah Corniche and I expect them to be front-runners again, although once again it will all be very close. They should be able to do well in both qualifying and the race.”

This perspective from Vasseur provides a clear view of Ferrari’s strategy and confidence ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, underlining the team’s determination to excel in this highly competitive environment.