Ferrari struggled with overheating brakes for a lot of the Singapore Grand Prix and has misplaced floor to Mercedes within the constructors’ championship.
A yr in the past, Ferrari was overwhelmed to the constructors’ title by McLaren on the closing race of the season, however this yr McLaren wrapped up the championship in Singapore whereas Ferrari sits third. The hole to Mercedes grew to 25 factors after George Russell received and Kimi Antonelli was fifth, with Lewis Hamilton limping house as a consequence of brake considerations that had additionally impacted Charles Leclerc earlier on.
“We have been over-heating, not from lap one, however from lap two or three,” Vasseur mentioned. “We needed to do carry and coast within the race. Even for them, on the finish, it is not straightforward to drive as a result of it’s important to adapt your braking level every lap.
“Clearly, after we pushed a few laps with Lewis, I believe the tempo was first rate. However you’ll be able to’t do 95% of the race on the again foot and doing administration.
“Everyone knows that in Singapore, when you’re in the course of the pack, it’s important for the brakes. For certain, the truth that we did not do FP2 did not assist on the finish, nevertheless it was not anticipated at this level.
“When it comes to security, sure [it was fine], as a result of we tailored the tempo. It isn’t like Lewis was pushing like hell within the final lap – he was 30 seconds slower. When it comes to security, it was on the protected aspect for the goal. The goal is to be protected, however the goal is to not be 30 seconds slower.”
Vasseur says there was a short window the place the Ferrari tempo appeared similar to the front-running automobiles, however that there was little alternative to evaluate the automobile’s potential with out encountering the braking points.
“I believe we did a few laps with them, however then you do not know,” he mentioned. “Very early within the race we requested Charles to do carry and coast. It isn’t only a matter of doing a carry and coast if you’re shedding just a little bit on the finish of the straight. It is also to seek out the suitable braking level.
“All of the race we have been ‘a bit extra’, ‘a bit much less’, ‘a bit extra’, ‘a bit much less’, ‘a bit extra on the rear’, ‘a bit extra on the entrance’, ‘it’s important to change the brake steadiness’… In the long run, you lose most likely extra on the reference for you when you’re driving the automobile than on the pure potential.”
