Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur stays optimistic despite performance dip

Ferrari began the 2024 season with a strong start, securing wins in Australia and Monaco, and placing second in the standings behind Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc's victory in Monte Carlo seemed to set a promising tone. However, the team have since struggled, with McLaren overtaking Ferrari for second place and Red Bull continuing to dominate.

The SF-24's performance waned significantly following a failed upgrade at the Spanish Grand Prix.

In the aftermath, Ferrari have worked diligently to address the issues caused by the upgrade. Recent improvements were evident when Leclerc secured pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix and achieved two podium finishes at Spa and Zandvoort, with the latter being an unexpected highlight.

Despite these struggles, Vasseur insists the fundamental concept of the SF-24 remains solid. "It is always a combination, but we were not very confident coming to Zandvoort," Vasseur admitted.

"We didn't complete FP1 and had only one car in FP2 due to a gearbox issue with Sainz. Charles had no reference, which was not ideal."

He added, "In qualifying, we didn't have the magic, but if you look at the scrubbed sets in Q3, we had good pace—not enough to challenge Lando [Norris] for pole, but better than the final result suggested.

"I believe it's a matter of details. I'm not worried; the car concept is good."

Ahead of the summer break, Vasseur announced that Ferrari's technical chief, Enrico Cardile, would be leaving to join Aston Martin, with Vasseur temporarily overseeing Cardile's responsibilities.

Vasseur hinted at new team signings, stating, "We will announce changes after Monza, with the team structure update."

The next F1 race is the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 1 September. Monza, known as the "cathedral of speed" and the fastest track on the F1 calendar, will be a crucial test for Ferrari as they look to regain their footing in the championship.