Ferrari’s team has taken a step forward during the Chinese GP, concludes team principal Frédéric Vasseur ahead of the race weekend at Suzuka. The team’s two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, provided the most action on track in Shanghai by battling each other at the sharp end for third place. Yet Vasseur sees the Japanese GP mainly as an opportunity to better understand the SF-26: ‘We need to make sure we get everything sorted this weekend’.
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With two podium finishes in two Grand Prix races – and an end to the podium drought of Ferrari’s newest driver Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari has made a good start to the new season. Of course, the trips to the podium taste like more for the Scuderia. According to team principal Frédéric Vasseur, his team is therefore working hard to once again open the hunt for Mercedes at Suzuka.
“We took another step forward in China and with that confirmed a number of positive points we saw in Melbourne, especially under race conditions”, the Frenchman begins in the preview of the Japanese GP. “However, it is also clear that there are still areas where we need to improve. The level of competition is very high and small differences can have a big impact on the result.”
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‘Better understand the SF-26’
Ferrari took fourth place in Japan last year with Charles Leclerc. A year later, the Scuderia hopes mainly to better understand the SF-26, before Formula 1 begins an unexpected spring break. “Suzuka is a very demanding circuit, so it’s a great opportunity to better understand the SF-26 and make progress”, Vasseur continues. “We need to stay focused on ourselves, continue working on the overall package and make sure we get everything sorted this weekend. After this race we also have a month back at the factory, which will be important to analyze all the data from the first three races and develop the package in the right direction.”
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