Carlos Sainz, preparing for his final race with Ferrari, remains optimistic about the team’s chances in the season’s closing Grand Prix despite their uphill battle.
With Ferrari trailing McLaren by 21 points in the Constructors’ Championship, Sainz is determined to leave no stone unturned.
“I think it’s still going to be tough,” Sainz acknowledged. “21 points requires a perfect weekend from Ferrari and a bad weekend from McLaren. But we’ve seen worse things in racing, so we’re going to give it our best shot. I think if we nail a good weekend, we can still make it happen.”
According to GPblog.com, the Spaniard stressed the team’s all-or-nothing approach for the season finale. “That’s why we’re going to give it our absolute best, nothing to lose. Going to throw everything in to make sure we give ourselves the best chance,” he said.
Vasseur: Focus on Ferrari, not rivals
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur echoed the need for a focused effort but emphasised staying internal rather than worrying about competitors. Reflecting on the team’s season, Vasseur dismissed the notion that the points deficit creates extra pressure.
“I would prefer to have 20 points in the pocket. It’s not a matter of pressure, it’s a matter to do a good job and to be quick,” Vasseur said. “First, to be focused on ourselves. We were able to do 1-2 some weekends during the season to try to do the best to do this, but it’s true that even if you do 1-2, they can still be champion.”
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According to Vasseur, the key lies in maintaining discipline and executing their own strategy rather than reacting to McLaren or Red Bull’s performance. “The most important is to be focused on yourself, not to start to think about what the others are doing, because you are losing a little bit the pace of the weekend,” he said.
Vasseur pointed to the team’s approach in Qatar as a blueprint. Despite challenges, Ferrari capitalised on the chaotic race to close the gap. “At least this weekend, the approach was very good because we went into the mix for the championship,” he said. “We stayed focused on our car, on our strategy, and not thinking too much about what McLaren or Red Bull is doing.”
A final push
Ferrari enters the last race with the odds stacked against them, but both Sainz and Vasseur seem aligned in their strategy: stay focused, give it their all, and hope for the best. Whether the team can overturn the deficit remains to be seen, but they aim to finish the season on a high note.
Feature Image Credit: Ferrari Media Centre