Ferrari and McLaren Shine as Red Bull Struggles at Monaco Grand Prix
In the thrilling Monaco Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari and McLaren took center stage, leaving championship leaders Red Bull struggling to cope with the challenging street circuit’s bumps, managing only sixth place through Max Verstappen, who was sandwiched by the two Mercedes drivers.
Verstappen: Red Bull “Clearly Doesn’t Understand” F1 Bump Weakness (Formula 1 News)
Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur acknowledged the intense competition in the 2024 season, where the top three teams – Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull – can potentially win races depending on the specific track layout. Vasseur emphasized the importance of maintaining progress and not getting complacent, as knowing Red Bull can be beaten does not diminish Ferrari’s motivation to fight for honors in Formula 1.
“For Ferrari, it’s not a matter of motivation, as the motivation is already there. It’s more about self-confidence for the drivers and the team. When you’re in a position to win, you pay more attention to details, and that’s part of the improvement we’ve seen over the last six or seven months.”
Vasseur warned against getting too comfortable, stating that the worst-case scenario would be to think their job is already done.
“We have to continue like this, but the worst-case scenario would be to imagine that it’s done, that it will be like this until the end.”
Looking ahead to the remainder of the season, Vasseur predicts a closely contested battle among the top teams.
“We are competing more with McLaren or Red Bull, and it will be up and down until the end of the season. We have to score good points when we’re not at the top and be able to win when we are there. But nothing changes.”
Red Bull, he believes, will retain their advantage at certain circuits on the Formula 1 calendar. Ferrari will need to be “opportunistic” to secure a strong points haul even when not at the top. Vasseur anticipates tight competition between Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull, with Mercedes not far behind.
“I think now we have at least three teams – but I think Mercedes is not that far away – at least three teams able to fight for the pole position, able to fight for the win. It’s exciting, and it will be, I hope, like this until the end of the season.”
Watch: F1 2024 Monaco GP Review – Leclerc Finally Breaks the Curse (Formula 1 Today)
For more Formula 1 news, updates, and analysis, stay tuned to our coverage of the 2024 season. Don’t miss out on the latest Formula 1 standings and Formula 1 calendar updates.
🔗 Source