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Focusing on F1 rival form in Baku would be “a mistake”
The one-lap format is especially important in Baku, as the sprint event will have its own qualifying session on Saturday, so drivers and teams will have to do it right twice.
Ferrari was second quickest behind Red Bull during laps in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but stumbled in Australia, with Mercedes and Aston Martin both leading.
Vasseur said teams must focus on optimizing their own performance rather than being distracted by competitors.
“To focus on Red Bull or Mercedes or Aston Martin, I think it’s a mistake,” the Frenchman said.
“We have to get the best out of what we do and focus on ourselves. But we took a big step for me between games two and three.
“If we can bring some updates … I think the problem in Melbourne is not the potential of the car, it’s more the work we do as a team to extract the best from it and we have to focus on that.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23
Photography: Ferrari
“Baku will be crucial because in Baku you have two qualifying sessions and two races and we have to be able to do better as a team and get the best out of the car.
“Then the track layout in Baku is completely different. But the most important thing is to get the best result from what we do and focus on ourselves and not on other people.”
Vasseur admits getting it right on the challenging street course is not easy, but he still hopes the recent changes to the SF-23 will pay off.
“I’m never going to say what we did in the car and what effect it had on the behavior of the car,” he said.
“But for sure we were looking for something more consistent. I think we got that.
“I wanted to confirm in Baku that we are in a different situation. Baku is often an extreme circuit because it is very windy and between the buildings the wind changes direction completely from one corner to another. It’s a great workout for everyone.
“But I think we took the right direction in Melbourne and we have to confirm that in the next game.”
While Max Verstappen took the lead from start to finish at the Spanish Grand Prix almost as a matter of course, Sunday was more taxing for Sergio Perez. Christian Horner praised the Mexican for his fourth-place finish and hopes he can take the pressure off a bit now.
Christian Horner’s face beams with pride after the Spanish GP. Not without reason: Max Verstappen won in very dominant fashion. The Red Bull team boss realizes life is pretty good for his team at the moment.
After two mistakes in qualifying affected his race, Alonso started eighth on the grid and managed just one place in the race, finishing seventh behind teammate Lance Stroll.
It marks the second time in 2023 he has missed an Aston Martin podium, with Alonso pointing out: “We’re not keeping pace, that’s the biggest problem.
“It wasn’t because we were unlucky or with a different strategy or anything like that, I think we were slower compared to the Mercedes – soft slower, hard slower.
“We’re just focusing on the Alps, the AlphaTauris, and keeping up with Ferrari.
“In the end I think we outscored Ferrari this weekend because they only had Carlos (Sainz) to score. We dropped points at Mercedes but they did better this weekend. So let’s try one.”
Asked whether the team’s form had to do with the track or with upgrades brought in by rivals, Alonso admitted both played a role.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, weigh in
Photography: Mark Sutton/ motorsport pictures
“I think the track is a little bit off for us,” he said.
“From FP1 we had a completely different setup than we expected, so we had to work a lot over the weekend to be happy with the car, which was a bit new for us.
“We are always happy with FP1 (this year) and here we have to work a little more.
“Then there was an upgrade from the others and I think they probably didn’t show their full potential in Monaco and Miami – on the street circuit. So here, what we saw today, maybe they were a little bit stronger.
“But I’m not worried. There will be better weekends and worse weekends and we’ll have a chance in Canada.”
Asked by Autosport whether Barcelona was a reality check after such a strong race, he said: “No, I don’t think so. I think in two weeks’ time we’ll see a completely different picture and hopefully we’ll be back with Red Bull as soon as possible. Team fight.”
He added: “I needed a good qualifying session. I regretted yesterday’s mistake and I thought all night that if I could rewind qualifying, things would have been different.
“I can’t do it yet, change the time! So I’m just thinking about Canada right now and I’ll use that drive to have a great weekend there.”
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