The usual super Red Bull, but also a Ferrari second force, more hopeful and a little closer to the world champion team.
The Maranello team flies away from Jeddah to Saudi Arabia with a load of optimism after Charles Leclerc's first podium of the season and the beautiful performance that smacks of the future of the very young Oliver Bearman who replaced Carlos Sainz who was stopped by emergency surgery for appendicitis.
The Spaniard, already in the paddock during the race to prepare for the Red, will do his best to return to the track in two weeks in Australia.
At Albert Park in Melbourne, Ferrari will present itself with the aim of continuing to reduce the gap to the Red Bulls, a not impossible objective as explained by Leclerc, author of the fastest lap of the race in Jeddah and a crescendo finish: "On the pace itself it was more or less as I expected - said the Monegasque Ferrari driver - We can't point the finger at anything in particular, because even if it's 3-4 tenths, which are a lot in the world of motorsport, you also see that you earn 5 cents here and there We must continue to work as we have done in recent months. From last year to this year the team that has made the biggest step forward is ours, and this is thanks to the result of all the work done by the boys at home and on the track. We are in a positive moment, we must continue to work in this direction and I am sure that the satisfactions, which are the victory and beating Red Bull, will arrive shortly."
Leclerc then praises the young Berman: "Oliver did an exceptional job: debuting in a Formula 1 weekend starting from the third free practice session, without knowing the car well, on one of the most demanding circuits in the championship and being able to be fast so quickly, is something incredible. It was fantastic to see him happy and excited, it made for a great weekend."
And the person concerned, after the hug at the end of the race with his father in the paddock, received a series of compliments including that of the future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton (he finished behind the debutant) who applauded him on the return lap: "One of my heroes, Vettel, wrote to me before the start - the 18-year-old Briton who was elected driver of the day after the Arabian GP revealed - I thank Seb, it was really nice. It was a great emotion to run my first race in Formula 1 with the Scuderia Ferrari. Obviously it was challenging from the start. from a physical point of view, especially at the end, when I had Lando (Norris, ed.) and Lewis (Hamilton, ed.) behind me on Soft tyres."
Leclerc's optimism is then echoed by that of Vasseur: "A year ago, however, between Bahrain and Jeddah we were 1.1 seconds away, while today we were 5-6 tenths. We halved the gap. The fact that we managed to do the fastest lap in the end , while Norris and Hamilton were pushing with the soft tyres, it's another sign that we've taken a step forward in tire management. Performance comes from everything, there's no single secret.
We need to improve in all areas. Aerodynamics for sure is the key. We have new parts coming, like everyone else, but the important thing is that these work in the car. We are entirely focused on the fact that we have to catch up - concludes Vasseur - We have to keep pushing and developing."
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