Rumors of a possible change of line-up at Ferrari has spread since last week. The protagonist would be Alex Albon, who according to the Italian press should take over Sainz’s seat, after the end of the Spaniard’s contract next year.
But Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has made it clear that there is nothing founded and the Cavallino at the moment is not interested in making changes regarding the drivers.
Vasseur knows Albon very well, the Thai had led for his ART squad in GP3 and Formula 2, and confirms that he is currently engaged in a long-term project with Williams.
“I don’t know where this story came from. I’ve run Albon in the past, and we’re friends,” said the team principal to Motorsport.com’s Italian edition. ”If a reporter asks me if Alex is currently doing a good job, I would say yes. But that doesn’t mean I’m interested in taking him.
“I think Alex also has a contract with Williams for 2024. The team is investing a lot, so there is no problem.”
Photo Credit: Scuderia Ferrari
The French boss has been very clear since the beginning of his journey with Ferrari that the priority is currently to get to know the team. Everything that concerns the contracts of the two drivers can wait. Both Sainz and Leclerc have a deal that will end after the 2024 season.
“I was clear with the team at the beginning of the season, and I was also clear with the drivers, that I need to get to know the team first. And it takes months.
“They still have a one-year contract, so I don’t think it’s an issue that needs to be discussed now. We’ll certainly talk about it in the future, but it’s not the first concern.
“The priority, for everyone, is to focus on the team, especially this season. I don’t want there to be any distracting elements.”
Both drivers seem to be the perfect match, almost complementing each other given their different approaches to driving.
Leclerc has the capacity to surprising with some outstanding performances, such as Baku this year. But often driving to the limit can lead him to make mistakes at times.
“Leclerc is capable of exceptional things,” explained Vasseur. “Sometimes he does things that you don’t know where he got them from.
“Charles is a driver who always thinks about winning. Our car is behind the Red Bull, but he is still there thinking about trying to win.
“In certain situations, we have seen him push too much, and go into over-driving. He tries to compensate for the shortcomings with strategy, with being aggressive, and with the risk of making mistakes.”
“My job is to direct him in the right way. When we have a car that is capable of taking second place, we have to take pride of place there. Of course, it’s also right to look at what happens in front.”
About Sainz’s performance, Vasseur in conclusion added that the Spaniard has proved to be a very reliable, consistent driver: “Carlos is very consistent. He is able to manage his own pace and does it a little better than Charles.
“He doesn’t overdrive, but he doesn’t have the big peaks of Charles, when, for example, he takes pole positions.
“Sometimes he is very close to him. In Miami, up to the last corner, he was on pole. He limits the bad mistakes and he’s always there.”
