Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur opines that the team needs to move beyond the initial excitement surrounding the news of Lewis Hamilton’s arrival in 2025 and concentrate all their efforts on the upcoming season.
Hamilton’s announcement of his departure from Mercedes after the 2024 season to join the Scuderia took the F1 world by surprise, also injecting vitality into what had been a static driver market.
Doubts have been raised about Ferrari’s ability to produce a competitive car capable of contending for championships, as Hamilton aims for his historic eighth Drivers’ Championship.
However, Vasseur emphasises the importance of addressing their current issues this year rather than becoming preoccupied with future plans.
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“We have to turn this page and be focused on 2024.
We have a season in front of us, and I want to reserve all this discussion for 2025,” Vasseur told the media, including RacingNews365.
“It’s beneficial for the team to know exactly what we will do in the future, but the immediate focus is 2024, not 2025.”
Ferrari encountered a challenging start to the 2023 season due to reliability issues, costing them early points, with Charles Leclerc failing to finish two of the first three races.
However, their performance improved as the season progressed, with both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz frequently securing podium finishes, the latter clinching the only non-Red Bull victory of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Vasseur aims to carry forward the momentum from the latter part of the 2023 season into the current year, as Ferrari endeavours to narrow the gap to Red Bull.
“Last year was challenging, but I think it was challenging for everyone except Red Bull,” stated Vasseur.
“We recognise that the task ahead of us is significant.
However, we made good progress last season, particularly towards the end. We need to build on that for the 2024 season.”
With the regulations remaining stable, this year presents an opportunity for teams to make up ground.
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When asked about the possibility of convergence within the field, Vasseur commented, “Convergence with Red Bull? I’m uncertain.
“But I believe at least all the other teams will converge under the same regulations.
“Over five years, you will see a convergence of performance.”