On Friday in Melbourne, Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur spoke about the well-being of Carlos Sainz and the priorities of Oliver Berman…
Question: Carlos Sainz rode a long distance on Friday. How does he feel?
Frederik Vasseur: So far so good. He was cautious at first, but then he started to pick up the pace. I think he’s optimistic about the rest of the weekend.
Question: Is he in pain?
Frederik Vasseur: No. If he were in pain, that would be a big problem for us. So far everything is going well, everything is under control.
Question: Are you confident he can spend the rest of the weekend?
Frederik Vasseur: Yes, I’m not a doctor, but I know for sure.
Q: Oliver Berman did an excellent job with you in Jeddah, replacing Carlos. Can you tell us something about that weekend and his work?
Frederik Vasseur: I called him very late, about two hours before the start of the third practice. He didn’t have time to prepare, but he did a great job.
Jeddah is a tough track, especially if you weren’t there in Friday practice, but he managed to put everything together in qualifying. Literally a few thousandths was not enough to reach the final.
Ollie was very consistent in the race. The whole team was happy with him. And it’s not just the result, but also his approach throughout the weekend. He did everything perfectly.
Question: You said “ideal.” Over the past 30 years you have worked with many young riders. Have you seen anyone better?
Frederik Vasseur: I’m not that old!
It’s too early to draw conclusions, it’s too early. Now he has to concentrate on Formula 2. I’m sure everyone will draw conclusions after the end of the championship. We must move forward step by step. As the season progresses, he will conduct several Friday practice sessions in Formula 1, take part in tests, but the most important thing now is Formula 2.
Question: Do you feel that you are closer to Red Bull now than last year?
Frederik Vasseur: It’s not a feeling. Last year we were about a second behind in Jeddah, now it is four tenths. We are much closer to Red Bull than a year ago, but we are still behind.
The goal is to come first, not second or third. But we are going in the right direction. The work continues.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
