Frédéric Vasseur says it is important for Scuderia Ferrari to have a straightforward Austrian Grand Prix weekend if they want to bring home good results during Saturdays sprint race and Sunday’s main race at the Red Bull Ring.
After updates brought to the SF23 helped the team take fourth and fifth place in the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago, Vasseur, the Team Principal at Ferrari, hopes they can make further progress with the car in Austria as they look to take the fight to the teams directly ahead of them in the Constructors’ Championship.
The Maranello-based team currently sit fourth in the standings, thirty two points behind the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team in third place, and a further thirteen points behind the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team in second.
Vasseur says that the sprint race weekend format means they need to arrive at the track with some kind of idea about the ideal set-up needed to be competitive, particularly with only one free practice session prior to the Qualifying session on Friday afternoon.
“After Canada, we now return to complete the European leg of the season taking in some of the classic venues on the calendar, starting with back-to-back races in Austria and England,” said Vasseur.
“In Spielberg, we will tackle the second Sprint weekend of the year, which means that Charles, Carlos and the 18 other drivers all get just one hour of free practice before tackling qualifying. We have therefore spent plenty of time working hard in the factory and simulator to be as well prepared as possible.
“Our main focus has been on ensuring that our drivers can get the most out of the SF-23 package, as indeed they were able to do in the race in Montreal.
“We’re looking to have a straightforward weekend all the way through from Friday to Sunday and if we manage it, then I’m sure we can bring home a good result.”
