It is frustrating “when you have to do all the races on the backfoot,” claims Vasseur

Following Ferrari’s tough races in Azerbaijan and Singapore, Scuderia’s team boss Fred Vasseur admitted that it is frustrating when the team is unable to extract the car’s full performance due to technical issues.

Ferrari endured a difficult weekend last time out at Singapore. The SF25 lacked speed in qualifying which saw Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc secure only the sixth and seventh spot on the grid.

The Monegasque got the better start on Sunday and found himself running fifth as he was able to overtake his team-mate and the Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap.

However, Leclerc encountered technical issues and had to look after his brakes from the early stages of the race. As a result of his difficulties, he lost out to the Italian as he was forced to lift and coast in the majority of the race.

Hamilton spent the majority of the Singapore Grand Prix in P7. As he had a free pit stop window, he pitted for a second time to take a fresh set of softs. The seven-time world champion was able to eat up the ground to the back of his team mate on fresh rubber.

The Briton was let through to chase down his Mercedes replacement which he did, only to lose his brakes late on. He allowed Leclerc back through and lost nearly 40 seconds to Alonso over the last couple of laps.

However, while he was eager to nurse his brake issues on the final laps, he exceeded the track limits on four occasions for which he received a five-second penalty. It meant the Leclerc finished sixth while Hamilton left the Marina Bay Circuit with an eighth-place finish.

Commenting on Ferrari’s weekend last time out in Singapore, the Scuderia’s team boss Fred Vasseur added:” On our side it was a tough weekend.

“We had a strong start of the weekend and after that we didn’t extract the full potential from the car in quali. In the race, cooling was an issue right from the beginning although when we were in clean air the pace was decent.

“Over the last 15 laps, Lewis had mega pace, but he pushed so hard to catch up those ahead that in the end he had a problem with the brakes overheating.

“Clearly, the last couple of races, we have been a step behind our rivals. We need to improve the potential of the car and also our overall execution of the race weekend to ensure we are getting the best out of the car and from the drivers, because for sure, results like today’s are frustrating.

Pressed on to elaborate on the technical issues that held Ferrari back in Singapore, Vasseur stressed that the Italian outfit was simply unable to build on the strong start to their weekends in Baku and Singapore.

“Very early in the race we asked Charles to do a lift and coast,” he said. “It’s not just a matter of doing a lift and coast when you’re losing a little bit at the end of the straight. It’s also to find the right braking point.

“In all the races that we were a bit more, a bit less, a bit more, a bit less, a bit more on the rear, a bit more on the front. You had to change the brake balance. At the end, you lose probably more on the reference for you when you are driving the car than on the pure potential.”

“What is mega frustrating is that the last two weekends we came in… Baku and then Singapore. At the beginning of the weekend, the pace was there.

“We didn’t extract the best from the car, I think, honestly. We are doing 29.7s in Q1 [on Saturday] and 29.7s in Q3. We are struggling at the end of all the races not to be at the back foot.

“For the team, it’s mega frustrating. The team and drivers are for all of us, because we are not pushing [because of the brakes]. 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 backfoot, it’s not good,” Vasseur concluded.

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