F1 News
Vasseur looks enviously at Red Bull: 'We have to understand how they do it'
- GPblog.com
With a fine-tuned power unit (building a completely new one is not allowed by the regulations this season), Ferrari hoped to aim high this season. With the improved engine, the Italians thought they could rival Red Bull Racing on the straights. In reality, this does not appear to be the case, as the reigning Constructors' Champion has a 'mega big' DRS advantage, according to team boss Frederic Vasseur.
The differences were minimal at the start of last season. Ferrari and Red Bull Racing were hugely matched then. During the winter, the Italians expected to make gains mainly on straight-line speed. In a way, they succeeded, as this season Ferrari is among the teams with the highest top speed. Yet it still fails to come close to Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Big DRS effect
Vasseur explained to The Race why that is. "Red Bull has a mega big DRS effect. Bigger than everybody else. And we have to understand how they are able to do something like this," the Ferrari team boss said. "We were expecting to compensate a bit more, but the gap was bigger last year. Now for sure we have room for improvement in this area. They are doing something different and they are doing something better for sure."
Ferrari has more worries this season than Red Bull alone. Aston Martin and Mercedes are also breathing down the Italian team's neck, if they are not already faster than the Scuderia. Charles Leclerc has already failed to reach the finish twice, once with technical problems and in Melbourne due to a crash. Teammate Carlos Sainz received a time penalty in Australia for causing an accident, dropping back to outside the points.