Vasseur: 'Faster than Mercedes in qualifying but slower in race'

Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur is not yet satisfied with the car that Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are driving. The Frenchman sees Mercedes as a major competitor, he revealed in a press event attended by GPblog. The Italian team is as much as 52 points behind Mercedes in the constructors' championship.

"To close the gap with Mercedes, we are probably a bit faster than them in Qualy. And slower than them in the race. I think as soon as we unlock this situation with consistency,  we can imagine fighting with them all over the race. And probably we will be able to do it, depending on the track and the tarmac," Vasseur said.

Vasseur on Red Bull

Red Bull did get a bit out of it, the Ferrari team boss reported. "With Red Bull, it's another story. Because at least with Verstappen he is still much faster than us in Qualy. Much faster in the race."

Ferrari will have to wipe the floor with a not quite performing car, it seems. "What paid for us in terms of performance is there. I think we made a step forward, but consistency is not there. We are starting now to have a better picture of the car, and we know where we perform."