‘Hmm’… Ted Kravitz thinks Fred Vasseur hinted at Ferrari versus McLaren’s master plan at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

McLaren was very impressive at the start of the weekend, taking advantage of the benefits of a new track-specific rear wing and a high top speed.

Ferrari was also competitive and will start the sprint in third and fifth place, with Charles Leclerc ahead of Carlos Sainz.

The Italian team’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, may have hinted at Ferrari’s strategy for the remainder of the weekend in an interview with Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz.

The interviewer was intrigued by Vasseur’s reaction after the sprint qualifying prior to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Fred Vasseur explained that the Grand Prix is ​​the most important part of the weekend and that they have to ‘build up’ with the tires

Sprint weekends after a different outlook than more conventional Grand Prix events, with just one practice session and two races to prepare for.

This emphasizes quickly finding a competitive setup and adapting to any track changes, such as in Brazil where the track was resurfaced, making it bumpier.

The 10 teams also have a more limited allocation of tires during a sprint weekend. Vasseur may have hinted that managing this could be the key to beating McLaren.

Vasseur explained that Ferrari had good pace during sprint qualifying, but their strategy focused on Sunday and the 71-lap race.

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He said: “P3, P5, it’s a good result. Let’s focus on tomorrow’s race. We must also keep in mind that the most important will be Sunday. It means that in terms of strategy for the tires and therefore that we have to build up the weekend on Sunday.”

Kravitz was surprised by Vasseur’s response and comments regarding tire choice for the remainder of the weekend heading into the Grand Prix.

He replied: “Hmm… okay, so you have a connection… I like reading what you say, Fred. Do you have some tire conservation strategies that could ensure your pace only shows up on Sunday, and not necessarily in qualifying?

Ferrari is competing with McLaren and Red Bull for the constructors’ championship

Ferrari has had occasional inconsistencies this season, but the Italian team was fast at circuits like Monaco and at the Italian Grand Prix.

They now sit second in the Constructors’ Championship with four rounds to go as both McLaren and Ferrari have usurped Red Bull.

The Italian manufacturer has been the team to beat in recent weekends. Norris is putting pressure on his McLaren teammate Piastri to keep Ferrari behind him in the closing stages of the season.

With just four rounds to go, the battle for the championship could come down to the final race in Abu Dhabi with three teams in contention, although Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is struggling.

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