Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur dismissed the Barcelona result as an isolated event, insisting the team will continue with the same tactical approach regardless of a single strong weekend.
Vasseur on Barcelona’s Results
In a post‑race interview, Vasseur avoided answering whether the Scuderia would “push hard” for a title run after Lewis Hamilton’s triumph in Spain. The Frenchman said he would not adjust strategy based on one race, stating, “I will never do it” when asked about backing Hamilton squarely in a championship fight.
He recalled that two weeks earlier he spoke of a “disaster” regarding the team’s season trajectory, yet now expressed confidence that the performance gained in Barcelona “comes in the right direction.”
Team Performance Versus Championship Dream
While Hamilton secured victory, Ferrari’s tyre management was praised but not yet validated as a season‑long advantage. Vasseur noted that extremes in track temperatures could skew a single weekend’s data, referencing the “rigorous” conditions in Spain and predicting a more typical setup for the next Austrian event.
He emphasized that “the championship will be based on development pace”, not just strong single races, highlighting that the 2024 regulations still allow many teams to evolve for a win.
Hamilton, Leclerc, and the Competitive Gap
Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc qualified third and fourth, trailing both Kimi Antonelli and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who retired on the opening lap. Sourcing from a podium finish, Hamilton entered Barcelona leaving Mercedes ahead by a 25‑point margin, yet the race itself compressed that lead.
Anticipation rose as António’s Mercedes demonstrated “clear pace advantage”, but Ferrari’s upgraded chassis and driver form hinted at a potential shift in the low‑speed corner hierarchy, especially after the upgrading package delivered “good pace” from the start.
Clear‑Air on Power Unit Development
The FIA’s ADUO mechanism might still grant Ferrari the possibility of engine enhancement, but Vasseur remained cautious: “Stay calm on this.” He said the upgraded power unit “might tip the balance in our favour” only if the right direction is maintained.
Contrasting sources point to McLaren’s Andrea Stella commenting that Ferrari could already be “the strongest chassis” on the grid, albeit with Mercedes’s engine still being the overall advantage.
Vasseur’s comments reflect a broader sentiment that the new rule set leaves plenty of room for season‑long engineering battles. “If you compare a medium‑stint to a hard one, some cars excel on one than the other,” he said, underlining that tyre degradation at different race sections remains unpredictable.
Looking forward to the Austrian GP, the team will focus on maintaining the same “good pace” established in Barcelona while monitoring the development of rivals, especially as “the capacity of all teams to bring performance to the car” remains paramount.
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