Frédéric Vasseur, new Ferrari team leaderhe repeated this Tuesday at the presentation of the Ferrari SF23 that he is “unimportant” which pilot won the World Cup between his two students, because that’s what matters “Ferrari wins”. The Frenchman has already said that he will not bet on having number one at the start of the course, but he will not hesitate to act “at some point in time” if he has to do so for one of the two to fight. for the crown. What does Charles Leclerc think about it? The Monegasque responded to the press conference to present the new 2023 Ferrari SF23 and agreed with his boss as he ensured that this “philosophy” would allow both drivers to feel motivated from the start and push the other and one to perform well.
“I agree with this philosophy. It’s important for Carlos and me to be fully motivated and do the best job possible at the start of the season and we have to push each other to perform at our best, and at some point in the season, if a driver is clearly in the fight to win the championship, I am sure that the team will do everything possible so that the driver who will fight for the title does so in the best possible conditions”Charles commented on this matter, highlighting the good relationship between the two Ferrari pilots.
“The relationship has always been very good. We get along well, we have many passions outside the court like golf, paddle tennis, chess, we have fun together and we have a good relationship. Of course we are very competitive but our competitiveness is very healthy”, he added.
As for the car, although he doesn’t want to go into too many details because he still has a lot of testing to do in the next pre-season tests in Bahrain (from February 23 to 25), he is sure Ferrari will make a move. forward. His goal is nothing but to become world champion in 2023.
Car sensations in the simulator
“The car feels good. It feels a little different but it’s hard, especially now on the track, to feel the difference between two laps without pushing too hard. Obviously, with new tires, etc., it’s hard to get the exact feel. I think we are heading in the right direction. We saw the weaknesses of the 2022 car and tried to fix them. Especially, in the simulator, we had positive signs. But you’ll have to wait for the test in Bahrain, until we push the car, to see how much progress we’ve made.”
work on balance
“The balance of the car last year was quite wide between slow and fast corners and we worked to make the balance closer in both cases between slow and fast corners. In the simulator it looks fine. We have made some improvements, but there are We have to wait for Bahrain because in the simulator it is very difficult to draw conclusions”.
Expect greater engine reliability
“Last year we had reliability issues that affected us quite a bit. I hope this year we can push.”
gum damage
“In terms of tire management, I think we’ve worked a lot on it because analyzing the races we had last year and I’m sure we’re better prepared. We know where we should focus and where we will improve.”
Tests in Bahrain
“Last year the tests were more important because the cars were completely new, and today it continues to be very important for the team to detect early weaknesses and for the drivers, to understand what driving style this car needs. drive it as much as possible. best possible. It’s a constant priority. Tests are getting less and less and now there are only three days. It’s a day and a half for Carlos and a day and a half for me before the first race. You have to try as much as possible”
Vasseur’s arrival
“Ferrari is very different, big and understands very well how Ferrari works. And yes, he is very clear and tries to lead people in the right way and in the right environment to get the most out of it”.
Renewal negotiations have not yet begun
“It’s not something I’m particularly thinking about. I still have two years. Of course I’ll do everything before the negotiations for myself and for the team, but it’s not the time and you’ll know it when the negotiations start.”
Fight with Red Bull
“It’s hard to predict now. We did a great job with the car but we don’t know where Red Bull and Mercedes are. We will see. What is clear to me is that, especially after last year, where we are in the first race means nothing about the end of the course. If we win the first race it means nothing or vice versa. I’m sure we have a competitive car.”
Positive?
“More positive compared to last year? I still don’t know what to expect. It’s always the same this time of year. You believe in the work you have done, you know how much work has gone into this project to make it happen. But on the other hand you never know how much other teams are progressing. So I don’t know what to expect.”
“After the first days of testing in Bahrain we will understand where we are compared to the rest, our weaknesses… but before that it is difficult to know where we are.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
