Vasseur: Ferrari thrives in silence as constructors' title race heats up
Ferrari appear to be in an enviable position in the race for the Formula 1 constructors' title, according to team principal Fred Vasseur. On Saturday, Carlos Sainz secured pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix, adding to the momentum the team built with a one-two finish at the Texas Grand Prix the previous weekend.
Although the Italian team trails defending champions Red Bull by just eight points and leaders McLaren by 40, they have managed to stay somewhat out of the spotlight. Sainz’s pole position on Saturday, ahead of Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen, and McLaren’s Lando Norris—with Charles Leclerc in fourth—has put Ferrari in a competitive position. Notably, Ferrari is the only title contender with both cars starting within the top 10 for Sunday's race.
"We have the advantage to be under the radar," Vasseur told Sky Sports. "The discussion is more about the fight between Lando and Max, between [McLaren boss] Zak [Brown] and [Red Bull boss] Christian [Horner], between Mercedes and I don't know who—and for me it's perfect."
Carlos Sainz, who will depart Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season and is currently out of the title reckoning, recorded a best lap time of 1:15.946 seconds to claim his sixth career pole position. Sainz emphasized the importance of securing as many points as possible for Ferrari's constructors' championship efforts.
"It's our number one priority. First of all, to bring both cars home, but especially if you win the race, those extra seven, eight points that you get when you win are important for the team in the Constructors'," he said. "I'll be just looking forward to keep that P1 into Turn 1, and from there, hopefully our race pace should be good enough to win it."
As the race nears, Ferrari's strategic approach of flying under the radar could prove to be a masterstroke in their quest for the constructors' title. With strong performances from both Sainz and Leclerc, the Italian team looks poised to give their competition a serious challenge.
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