Vasser: I want to see the team more focused

In Austin, Ferrari made a mistake with Charles Leclerc’s strategy, and after the finish the Monegasque was disqualified because the car did not meet the technical regulations. On the eve of the Mexico City stage, Scuderia boss Frederic Vasseur said he wants to see the team more focused as such mistakes are unacceptable.

Frederik Vasseur: “We left Austin with a different result from the finish. This allowed Carlos Sainz to take a place on the podium, which was well deserved given the way he ran the race. In addition, the team earned several points in the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship. However, in Mexico City I want to see the team more focused. We can’t afford to make mistakes during the race like we did in Austin.

The high altitude of the Mexican circuit makes the race unique because several aspects of the car are affected: from pure speed to the handling of the tires. Next weekend will follow a standard schedule, which will allow us to work on the car in three sessions.

I am confident that we will develop the right strategies to get the best out of ourselves in a race that, in theory, is expected to be difficult. All of us, including Carlos and Charles, must be ready to seize every opportunity.”

Carlo Santi, racing engineer: “The location of the Mexico City circuit at high altitude affects the downforce settings. Even though the settings are at maximum, the pressure level is about the same as in Monza at ‘normal’ atmospheric pressure.

Low atmospheric pressure has a significant impact on the cooling of the machine, as the thin air causes the cooling efficiency to be much lower than normal. To compensate for this, the most powerful cooling configuration of the season is used.

In Mexico City, the grip on the circuit is the lowest of the season due to the aforementioned low downforce and the fact that the circuit is little used during the year. Low grip makes it difficult for drivers as they try to drive as fast as possible while being very precise to avoid locking the wheels while braking, turning and sliding in corners, leading to overheating of the tires and further loss of grip .

When choosing the settings, we aim to ensure that the car is easy to drive and behaves predictably, even if this means sacrificing some speed. To help Carlos and Charles, we will have a more balanced car at the start of the weekend.”