Ferrari crew principal Fred Vasseur admits he has plenty of races in his thoughts the place 14 further factors may have been scored that may have gained the constructors’ championship for the Scuderia.
Lando Norris’ victory within the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ensured McLaren gained its first constructors’ title since 1998, beating Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc into second and third respectively. With simply 14 factors between the 2 groups on the finish of the season — a margin so small that Sainz beating Norris to the win would have given Ferrari the title — Vasseur admits the shut end result dangers overshadowing the progress made by the crew.
“ one (season), however not sufficient,” Vasseur mentioned. “I believe that if you happen to examine with one yr in the past, it’s an enormous step ahead — pit stops, technique, reliability… we improved in all places, even when it comes to pure efficiency.
“It’s true that on the finish, 14 factors are lacking and I believe if you’re 80 or 100 factors behind, you don’t really feel the frustration. Tonight, I had tons of races in my thoughts the place we misplaced 14 factors this season, however it’s like it’s. McLaren additionally had some points, and we now have to do a greater job subsequent yr, however I’m additionally fairly pleased with the step that we did.”
With Norris main and Sainz needing to discover a option to get forward of the McLaren to win the title, Vasseur says Ferrari didn’t take into account an additional pit cease simply to strive one thing completely different as a result of it wasn’t the best risk of bettering the consequence.
“Actually not, as a result of I believe crucial factor is to be targeted on your self and to do one of the best that we will do. Then, if you happen to keep shut, you don’t know what may occur — he may have a difficulty — and so we’re simply targeted on ourselves and to attempt to do one of the best we will.
“The most effective was the technique that we did. It was precisely what we didn’t need to do — to vary the technique or to vary the angle, simply because we’re preventing with McLaren. We had been simply targeted on ourselves from Friday, and I believe total, contemplating the [Leclerc grid] penalty, the observe limits and so forth, we did a superb job.”
