Carlos Sainz put an end to Max Verstappen’s impressive nine-race winning streak at the Australian Grand Prix, with Ferrari clinching a one-two finish after capitalizing on the Red Bull driver’s early retirement.
This victory has sparked excitement within the Ferrari camp, with team principal Frederic Vasseur hinting at further successes to come throughout the season.
Vasseur suggested that the outcome of the Australian Grand Prix highlighted Red Bull’s susceptibility to errors when faced with pressure from competitors.
The flawless performance of the Ferrari team, led by Sainz and his teammate Charles Leclerc, underscores the effectiveness of their strategy and execution on the track.
In Melbourne, Sainz led the charge for Ferrari, with Leclerc closely trailing behind, securing a dominant one-two finish.
This achievement was made possible by Verstappen’s premature exit from the race due to a brake failure, a setback for the reigning world champion who had been riding high on a nine-race winning streak.
Despite Verstappen’s strong showing in practice sessions, Ferrari exhibited impressive pace and resilience throughout the weekend. Verstappen’s pole position in qualifying had raised expectations, but his retirement after just four laps opened the door for Ferrari to seize the opportunity and dominate the race.
“This weekend I think it’s good evidence that when we are putting everything together, and I’m not sure that we’ll be able to do it every single weekend, we can put them a little bit under pressure,” Vasseur stated.
“And it’s when they are under pressure that they will also make more mistakes.
“We have to continue in this direction. We are much more confident of the fact that we can manage this kind of event.
“From lap one, day one, we were there, we were performant, and it was quite smooth, and it’s in this situation that we are doing the best car for the Sunday.”
The outcome of the race narrowed the gap between Leclerc and Verstappen in the drivers’ standings to just four points. Meanwhile, Sainz’s absence in Saudi Arabia due to an appendectomy prevented him from potentially leading the world championship.
In Bahrain, Sainz secured a podium finish, trailing behind Verstappen and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. Similarly, in Jeddah, Leclerc replicated this achievement, further solidifying Ferrari’s competitive presence on the track.
The recent outcomes signal a continuation of Ferrari’s impressive performance from the previous season.
According to Vasseur, there seems to be significant untapped potential in the current car, which he describes as “much easier” to develop compared to its predecessor. This suggests that Ferrari is poised for further improvements and achievements in the upcoming races.
“We made a huge step,” Vasseur continued. “I think it’s more the consistency between the two compounds or between one stint and the other one.
“The car is much easier to drive, much easier to read also for the drivers. By the way, much easier to develop.
“It’s probably the biggest step that we did compared to last year, to have something that we cannot easily manage, but at least to have a good read of the car quite early in the weekend.
“Confidence is a huge part of the results in our business, and I think we are building up the confidence over the last month, but it was already the case over the last part of the season last year.”
