Frederic Vasseur thinks Ferrari made ‘biggest step’ with issue they ‘cannot easily manage’

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Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur believes the Scuderia made their ‘biggest step’ compared to last year’s car with an issue that his F1 team still cannot manage ‘easily’.

The Maranello giants are in a vastly superior position after the first three races of 2024 than 12 months ago. Ferrari left the 2023 Australian GP with only 26 points to their name yet left Melbourne last week with 93. Only Red Bull (97) have scored more points so far this season.

Retirements at the 2023 Bahrain GP (engine) and Australian GP (collision) by Charles Leclerc contributed heavily to Ferrari’s slow start. Carlos Sainz also only finished the Melbourne race in P12 last year due to a time penalty plus a late restart. But he won in Melbourne this term.

Ferrari are 67 points better off after three rounds than in 2023

Sainz sealed his third win in Formula 1 at the 2024 Australian GP in a Ferrari one-two ahead of Leclerc, as well. Both Scuderia drivers have now made two rostrums this term, too. Sainz ended the season-opening Bahrain GP in P3 and Leclerc sealed P3 at the Saudi Arabian GP.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Their early-season form follows on from Ferrari ending 2023 strongly with Sainz taking three podiums and the win at the Singapore GP across the final nine rounds. Leclerc also finished 2023 with three podiums in the last nine rounds, with each coming over the final four races.

Frederic Vasseur outlines the Scuderia’s ‘biggest step’ in 2024

Team principal Vasseur believes Ferrari improving how easily Sainz and Leclerc can get a feel for their car each race has contributed hugely to their strong start. The 55-year-old feels the SF-24 is a ‘much easier’ car for all in Maranello to work with and, Vasseur hopes, to develop.

“The car is much easier to drive, much easier to read also for the drivers,” Vasseur has told Sky Sports. “By the way, much easier to develop.

“It’s probably the biggest step that we did compared to last year, to have something that we cannot easily manage but at least to have a good read of the car quite early in the weekend. Confidence is a huge part of the results in our business.

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“I think we are building up the confidence over the last month. But it was already the case over the last part of the season last year.”

Vasseur may hope Ferrari’s next major improvement comes in qualifying. Leclerc started the Bahrain GP in second but was 0.228 seconds slower than Max Verstappen in qualifying. The Monegasque was also 0.319s off in Saudi Arabia and Sainz was 0.270s behind in Australia.