20 April 2023 , 11:03
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Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur understands his drivers' frustrations about their unfortunate start to the 2023 season - but believes their motivation is "not an issue".
The Scuderia currently sits fourth in the constructors' championship with just 26 points after the first three races of the year. A pointless weekend in Australia earlier this month exacerbated their issues and leaves them trailing Mercedes and surprise package Aston Martin, as well as runaway leaders Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc retired from two of those three races this season – a huge contrast from this time last year when he led the 2022 championship with a 34-point lead. An engine failure in Bahrain was followed by six points in Saudi Arabia, before his spin on the first lap in Melbourne.
Team-mate Carlos Sainz has endured an equally disappointing beginning to the season, picking up a penalty in Australia which pushed him outside the points. He and his team were up in arms, but their protests fell on deaf ears as the FIA stood by the sanction.
However, despite the poor start, team principal Vasseur recognises why his drivers are upset and insists on staying optimistic for the future. The Frenchman even went as far as to suggest he is pleased to see that the racers are angry about how their season has begun.
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He said: "When you are jumping on Charles or Carlos or any other drivers in the TV pen 30 seconds after the race, for sure they can't be happy. And I would be very frustrated if they were relaxed and happy with the situation.
Fred Vasseur remains optimistic despite Ferrari's struggles (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)"But the most important [thing] for me is to keep everybody motivated, pushing in the same direction, and [the drivers] are supporting the team. The motivation is not an issue at all."
Ferrari suffered from reliability issues throughout the 2022 season which derailed their title push. Despite hopes of a smoother ride this year, there have already been suggestions that the trend will continue.
However, Vasseur insists there are positives to every situation – even in the difficult times. He added: "Today's result [Australia], not scoring points, does not reflect the progress we have made as a team.
"We have taken a step forward in terms of pure performance and even more importantly, we had a decent and consistent race pace on the various tyre compounds."