Ferrari Formula 1 boss Frederic Vasseur is unconcerned by his drivers’ fluctuations in form during 2023, labelling Max Verstappen an exception in an “up and down” year.
Verstappen thoroughly dominated the past campaign, winning 19 of the 22 races to secure a third consecutive F1 Drivers’ title with a record six rounds still remaining.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s attempt to sustain a challenge was stymied by an unpredictable car that both drivers repeatedly complained about during the opening stages of the year.
However, the Italian marque responded admirably beyond the summer break to end Red Bull’s hopes of a historic clean sweep with Carlos Sainz’s victory in Singapore.
Charles Leclerc had been on the back foot during that period until Ferrari’s introduction of a revised floor in Japan tipped the balance back towards the Monegasque driver, who ended the season with three pole positions and three podiums in the last six rounds.
But Vasseur admits that he is not perturbed about the inconsistency experienced on either side of the garage, insisting that the two drivers compliment each other well.
“We had different momentum through the year. I think it is true that Carlos was very, very strong after the summer break and Charles was flying at the last six or seven events,” Vasseur said in Abu Dhabi.
“But overall, I think the dynamic that we added to the team was a good one.
“Again, I don’t think we have to keep in mind the race here [Abu Dhabi] for Carlos because overall, he won in Singapore, and in Monza he did pretty well.
“It didn’t work this time and we have to understand why. But I am sure that for Tuesday [the post-season test] it will be fixed. So, overall, the season is not one day.”
Vasseur stressed that every driver on the grid other than Verstappen encountered a rough spell at some stage of the season, which he considers to have been dictated by the closeness of the field behind Red Bull.
“Except Max, everybody on the grid has been up and down this season and it is true because it is very tight, and sometimes with one-tenth or one-tenth-and-a-half because you like the track or you like the set-up of the car on this day, you can move from P2/3 to P10 and it is almost a disaster,” he explained.
“But we have to stay calm to the approach and it is not today that we missed something [in the championship against Mercedes].”
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