After Carlos Sainz’s victory at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix ended Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s nine-race winning streak, Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, shared his belief that this victory demonstrated Ferrari’s ability to pressure Red Bull into making mistakes.
The win in Melbourne not only marked a significant achievement for Sainz, especially considering he had undergone surgery just 16 days prior but also signified a shift in momentum, reminiscent of the impact of last season’s Singapore Grand Prix where Sainz also ended Max Verstappen’s ten-race winning streak.
Sainz’s performance led Ferrari to its first one-two finish since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, with Verstappen retiring due to brake issues on lap 4 and Sergio Perez finishing in a modest fifth place. This series of events has notably boosted confidence within the Ferrari camp.
The Scuderia had looked quick on Friday, with Leclerc dominant in FP2. On Saturday, Carlos Sainz should have taken pole but a mistake in the turn 9 and 10 section cost him.
Nonetheless, it came Ferrari’s way on Sunday as Verstappen’s incredible streak of wins and consecutive finishes came to a grinding halt.
“That is a huge part of the results in your business,” Vasseur stated, emphasising the growing confidence within the team, which has been building since the latter part of the previous season.
“And I think we are building up the confidence in the last month, but it was already the case in the last part of the season last year.”
He highlighted the weekend’s race as a clear indicator that when Ferrari operates at its best, it can indeed apply significant pressure on Red Bull. But he is aware it might not be possible to do it at every race weekend following Verstappen’s dominance in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
“And this weekend, I think it’s good evidence that when we are putting everything together, and I’m not sure that we’ll be able to do to do it every single weekend, but when we’re putting everything together, we can put them a little bit under pressure,” Vasseur explained.
He further elaborated on the strategy, noting, “And it’s when they are under pressure that they will make mistakes, that means that we have to continue in this direction.”
Vasseur’s comments reflect not only a tactical approach to the championship battle but also an understanding of the psychological dimensions of racing, where confidence and pressure play pivotal roles.
As Ferrari continues to build momentum, the team’s ability to challenge Red Bull’s dominance could lead to an intriguing dynamic throughout the remainder of the season.
