Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur explained the frustrations felt in Formula 1‘s Singapore Grand Prix as both cars were left “on the back foot” after initial promise earlier in the weekend.
The Scuderia’s weekend in Marina Bay was similar to the previous one in Azerbaijan, where early one-lap pace rose confidence but was rendered somewhat anticlimactic.
In qualifying, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton looked to be in contention after setting some competitive times.
However, their challenges faded away with Hamilton sixth and Leclerc seventh, over half a second off George Russell’s pole position time.
The race did not fare much better, with both men required to lift and coast to nurse a brake problem, with Hamilton’s quite literally spilling over in the latter part of the race.
A near-total brake failure saw use track limits to aid his ailing SF-25 to the line, causing him to be handed a five-second penalty afterwards, dropping him to eighth, with Leclerc sixth.
Following the race, Vasseur was left to rue another weekend that looked to suggest a brighter result but once again saw all flashes of hope fade.
“What is mega frustrating is that the last two weekends we came in Baku and then Singapore, and at the beginning of the weekend the pace was there,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“We didn’t extract the best from the car, I think honestly. We are doing 29.7s Q1 yesterday and 29.7s Q3. We are struggling like hell all the race [just] to be on the back foot.
“For the team it’s mega frustrating, for the team and drivers and for all of us, because we are not pushing.
“And at the end of the day, we are putting so much effort to be there, that when you have to do all the races on the back foot, it’s horrible.”
Ferrari eager to ease issues to bolster second-place fight
With McLaren retaining the Constructors’ Championship, the focus shifts to the fight for second, which is now between Ferrari, Mercedes [now in second] and Red Bull.
Both of its rivals have shown considerable improvement, and with Ferrari stagnating in a depressing level of mediocrity, it looks like there will be a confirmation of regression, given it narrowly lost out to McLaren in the title last year.
Vasseur remained optimistic about the prospects of taking the runner-up spot again, but he conceded things have to be fixed to ensure it can be done.
“I think both will come together,” he added. “But if we are not able to fix the issues, no way to fight, it means that we have to fix the issue for sure for next week.
“Next week will be a different story. Next race will be a different story, but yeah, both have to come together.”
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