After the Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen led the F1 Drivers’ Championship with 169 points, giving him a 31-point advantage over Charles Leclerc, who was in second place. While Verstappen was performing exceptionally well, his teammate Sergio Perez, on the other hand, was facing difficulties. Red Bull Racing led the F1 Constructors’ Championship with 276 points, but their advantage over Ferrari was only 24 points. This was the situation after the 8th round of the championship.
Since then, the Canadian and Spanish Grands Prix have taken place. As the teams head to Austria, Leclerc has dropped to third place in the drivers’ standings, with McLaren’s Lando Norris now in second place. McLaren has been steadily improving, unlike their Italian rivals.
Leclerc currently has 148 points, 71 points behind Verstappen, who leads the championship with 219 points. Norris is just two points ahead of Leclerc, with 150 points. Red Bull Racing continues to lead the Constructors’ Championship, now with a comfortable 60-point advantage.
Upon arriving in Spielberg, the Ferrari team, led by team principal Vasseur, acknowledges the challenges they face. He mentioned that while their upgrades in Spain worked as expected, their competitors have also made progress. The qualifying order in Barcelona was incredibly close, with four teams separated by less than three-tenths of a second. The top seven drivers were separated by less than half a second.
Considering the fierce competition, Vasseur hopes that the differences will be even smaller in Austria compared to Spain and Canada. The pole position time from last year, 1:04.391s, will serve as a reference, but minimal differences are expected. Verstappen and Mercedes driver George Russell set identical times in Canada, but Verstappen had to settle for second place because he set the time later. The competition is incredibly tight.
Looking at the race at the Red Bull Ring, Vasseur emphasized the importance of focusing on themselves. The track is short, with a lap time just over a minute, so even the smallest details can make a significant difference. With the return of the Sprint Race format, the team’s preparations in Maranello become even more crucial. There is only one hour of free practice before qualifying, so everyone on the team, including the drivers, needs to be at their best to take advantage of any opportunities that arise.
Vasseur expects the team to improve their performance in Austria, especially in qualifying and executing the race. He wants to see Ferrari step up their game as they face strong opponents. This race will mark the 33rd time that Vasseur will be in charge of the iconic Ferrari team.
