Ferrari F1 Team Principal Details Belgian GP Approach With New Upgrade Package
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Ferrari Formula One team principal Fred Vasseur has spoken about his team's strategy for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, given the reduced number of practice sessions due to the sprint race. Additionally, Ferrari is introducing a new upgrade package for the SF-25 F1 car, and as a result, it will have to get its setup right in the first practice session.
With the race at Spa-Francorchamps being a sprint weekend, teams will have a single practice session on Friday before sprint qualifying, and Ferrari will aim to fine-tune the SF-25's setup quickly for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
The Belgian GP sprint race will take place on Saturday, followed by the qualifying session for Sunday's main race. Ferrari could be more confident going into this weekend, since it reportedly tested a new rear suspension last week that likely addresses the SF-25's ride height problems. The test would have also been beneficial in shortlisting an ideal setup for the race weekend, given the tight schedule.
Vasseur stressed that Ferrari team members back at the Maranello factory have worked hard to bring in a timely upgrade package for the race at Spa. Revealing that the team will have to be on its toes from the first practice session, he said:
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 28, 2024 in Spa, Belgium.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 28, 2024 in Spa, Belgium."We have worked hard at the factory to bring an additional upgrade package for the SF-25. Therefore, a point of focus this weekend will be to make sure we maximise its potential from the get-go.
"As always with a Sprint weekend, getting off to a strong start with a smooth free practice session will hold the key to the rest of the weekend.
"The margins between the teams are very close at the moment, therefore, every small detail can make the difference, so we'll stay focused on ourselves to give our best in every phase of the weekend, on a track where the weather could also play its part."
The Belgian GP could play out as a wet race given a 60 percent chance of rain on Sunday afternoon, a point that could raise alarms for Hamilton. The seven-time world champion admitted after the previous race at Silverstone that the SF-25 was difficult to drive in such conditions. He said:
"The tires dropped off massively. The car was unbelievably tricky to drive.
"I think ultimately I learned a lot today. It's only my second time driving in this car, and I can't even express to you how hard it is.
"It's not a car that likes those conditions, but having lots of data to take from this, for me it's worth a sit down with the people that designed the car for this year, because there's elements of this car that can never be changed."
Perhaps, the new suspension could make all the difference Hamilton is looking for, but only time will tell.
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