Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur warns of ‘unpredictable factors’ in Baku

The last few race weekends have not gone as well as Scuderia Ferrari would have liked. Now a challenging triple-header with three races in a row lies ahead. These are all circuits that are either unfamiliar to the drivers (Malaysia, last on the calendar in 2017) or that are unforgiving of mistakes (Baku and Singapore). Ahead of the race weekend in Azerbaijan, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur explains: Whilst the recent European races have shown potential, there is still a great deal of work to be done.

Vasseur: “The last few races have shown that our car is certainly competitive, but they have also made it clear how important it is to get everything right throughout the entire weekend.” Ferrari has certainly struggled with this recently. At their home race in Monza, Charles Leclerc crashed, whilst Lewis Hamilton finished a disappointing sixth. In Madrid, Hamilton retired with a brake failure; prior to that, qualifying had gone disappointingly for both Scuderia drivers. The good news is that, unlike in Madrid, overtaking is at least possible in Baku.

Vasseur: Confidence in the car is key

Vasseur: “Baku presents a very special challenge, where confidence in the car and execution are particularly important. It’s also a circuit where the weekend can bring numerous uncertainties. That’s why we need to focus on ourselves, adapt to all possible situations and make the most of every opportunity.”

Vasseur wants improvements across the board

After the Spanish Grand Prix, Vasseur had made it clear on several occasions that qualifying, in particular, needed to improve. However, the Frenchman also said: “Everywhere. The aim is always to do a better job everywhere.”

That said, Charles Leclerc’s qualifying performances in Baku have generally gone very well in the past. Over the last four years, the Monegasque driver has started from pole position in Azerbaijan every time. However, he has yet to convert pole position into a victory.

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