Neither Charles Leclerc nor Carlos Sainz have put pen to paper on a brand new Ferrari contract in keeping with crew boss Frederic Vasseur; 2023 was Vasseur’s first season accountable for Ferrari and so they have been the one crew to say a race victory throughout Crimson Bull’s record-breaking marketing campaign
Final Up to date: 16/12/23 11:08pm
Staff principal Frederic Vasseur says Ferrari are “not in a rush” to signal new contracts with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Each drivers’ present offers expire on the finish of 2024 with 12 different drivers on the F1 grid additionally having contracts that run out subsequent 12 months.
However Leclerc has reportedly signed a brand new five-year deal to stick with Ferrari till 2029 in keeping with the Italian media whereas Sainz’s future continues to be not clear.
Vasseur had beforehand mentioned he anticipated the offers to be agreed by the top of 2023, however is now pointing to rivals Mercedes ready till August earlier this 12 months to seal an extension with Lewis Hamilton, whose earlier contract had been set to run out on the finish of the 12 months.
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“We are not in a rush to extend the deals but have started discussions. Mercedes did it in August. We are not in a rush at all,” Vasseur informed Sky Italy.
“This season, I was expecting to do it before the end of the year. But the season was a huge one and we have started the discussion. But, again, we are not in a rush.”
Leclerc, who got here via the Ferrari academy earlier than beginning his F1 profession with Sauber, has been on the crew since 2019. Sainz joined in 2021, having beforehand pushed for Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren.
Vasseur: Essential to not be boastful
Ferrari missed out on second place within the 2023 Constructors’ Championship by three factors to Mercedes regardless of Leclerc’s three podiums within the ultimate 4 races.
Sainz took the one non-Crimson Bull win of the 12 months on the Singapore Grand Prix and was simply six factors behind his team-mate within the Drivers’ Championship, the Ferrari duo ending fifth and seventh.
Vasseur, who took over Mattia Binotto as crew boss firstly of the 12 months, thinks Ferrari “shouldn’t be scared to take risks” after taking a “huge step forward” within the second half of the season.
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“I’m always worried because it’s my job to! Even if you are only focused on yourself it’s important not to be arrogant,” mentioned Vasseur.
“I’ve been doing this job for six years and it’s always a good lesson of humility because you can do a good job one Sunday, then the Sunday after you are nowhere.
“It is a regular course of. It is to not be apprehensive…we simply want to enhance in all places and that is a very powerful message.
“It’s not that Red Bull have a magic bullet that puts them four tenths ahead. They are probably better than us with 10 things worth four hundredths. We need to do small steps everywhere and keep this mindset.”
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Vasseur sees Verstappen because the benchmark
A record-breaking season for Max Verstappen noticed him rating greater than twice as many factors as runner-up Sergio Perez, with Crimson Bull 451 factors forward of Mercedes and 454 factors in entrance of Ferrari within the Constructors’ Championship.
Ferrari have not received a title in F1 since 2008 with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel failing to turn out to be world champion with the pink crew throughout that interval.
In 2022, Leclerc led the early phases of the championship as Ferrari and Crimson Bull went head-to-head within the first half of the season. Nevertheless, their title problem rapidly light away as a consequence of errors from driver and crew, plus reliability woes.
Vasseur insists Ferrari’s progress again to the entrance is “all about details” and is happy with the angle of the crew throughout his first 12 months in cost as they appear to get again on phrases with Crimson Bull.
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“For sure he [Verstappen] will be the benchmark. They [Red Bull] had an advantage this season and I’m sure they will improve next year,” added Vasseur.
“But if you look at the last part of the season I think we made a step on the technical side and we are much closer to them in qualy and the race.
“Even within the races we may battle with him and doing this, they are going to in all probability do some extra errors. It is like a snowball. For those who make a step ahead, you get extra motivation and the others wrestle a bit extra. Now we have to take it step-by-step and never think about we will probably be successful each single weekend.”
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