"Red Bull" is no longer in its comfort zone: Vassuer

“Red Bull” is no longer in its comfort zone: Vassuer

McLaren's victory in the Miami Grand Prix, according to Ferrari team manager Fred Vasseur, is the most recent indication that Red Bull is "not anymore in the comfort zone" of 2023.

(Motorsports news) Red Bull won all but one of the 22 grand prix held during the previous season, and at the beginning of this one, there wasn’t much evidence to suggest that the team and its dominant driver, Max Verstappen, wouldn’t repeat their victory.

Even though it still possesses the fastest vehicle in Formula One, Red Bull faltered at first because of reliability problems, and then it lost to Lando Norris in Miami. Verstappen called Lando’s race performance in the improved McLaren “insane.”

Red Bull won all but one of the 22 grand prix held during the previous season, and at the beginning of this one, there wasn’t much evidence to suggest that the team and its dominant driver, Max Verstappen, wouldn’t repeat their victory.

Vasseur stated that Red Bull is “still ahead,” but added that as the distance closes, Ferrari and McLaren will be able to put increasing pressure on the Milton Keynes-based team, meaning it can no longer win races with ease.
Vasseur responded, “I think it’s almost like this since the beginning of the season, depending on the track,” to a question posed by Motorsport.com on whether Miami is a taste of what’s to come in 2024.

“To be honest, Red Bull continues to lead. In any case, Max might have prevailed today even without the safety car incident. They achieved pole position, indicating that they maintain a slight advantage.

It is true that we are there when it comes to doing a decent job and putting everything together, unlike a year ago. It implies that they are under a little bit of pressure from us, so their approach needs to be a little more aggressive.

“They are not anymore in the comfort zone of last year where it doesn’t matter what happens and after lap two they were in front.”

With two equally powerful cars, Ferrari and McLaren can start asking serious questions of Verstappen. This is especially true in races where Sergio Perez is trailing and won’t be able to give Verstappen strategic cover. Therefore, a smaller pace difference has a stronger impact on race strategy.

“I think it’s a game-changer in the management of the race,” Vasseur added.
“This is an opportunity for us because if we are doing another small step, that we will be really in a position to fight with them every single weekend.”

Building on McLaren’s Miami improvements, Ferrari is getting ready for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola next week with its first significant upgrade package.

This week, Ferrari used their 200-kilometer filming day at the Fiorano test track to give its new components their first shakedown.

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