Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has promised that his team will opt for an ‘aggressive’ strategy for Carlos Sainz at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the Italian manufacturer looks to come out on top in their battle with Mercedes.
The two teams head into the final race of the 2023 season separated by a mere four points with the Silver Arrows holding the advantage. However, it is Ferrari who are best placed to come out on top in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Charles Leclerc followed up his impressive P2 finish in Las Vegas by qualifying on the front row of the grid on Saturday, meaning he starts the Abu Dhabi GP alongside polesitter Max Verstappen.
There is some threat from behind for the Prancing Horse with George Russell starting from P4 on the grid, but there was no such joy for Lewis Hamilton, who lines up in P11.
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive F1 news.
Don’t miss… Crofty shows why he’s one of the best with Sky Sports F1 commentary box tour[LATEST]
Vasseur couldn’t celebrate after Leclerc placed his SF-23 on the front row though with team-mate Sainz eliminated in Q1 following a turbulent start to the weekend. The Spaniard brought out the red flag during FP2 on Friday after losing the car on a bump at the exit of Turn 2.
Discussing Ferrari’s session with Sky Sports F1 he said: “A bit up and down but I think it was so tight that anything was possible. At one stage I was scared to be out with Charles in Q1 or Q2.
“It was a lot about the out-laps and in the end, we understood a little bit the approach and Charles did a mega job. But it’s tomorrow we score points and we have to score four more points than Mercedes.
More F1…
F1 race directors change Abu Dhabi GP rules at last minute because of Verstappen[NEWS]
Mercedes have another driver likelier to replace Lewis Hamilton than Vesti[INSIGHT]
Sergio Perez lays down gauntlet to Max Verstappen with bold warning despite[OPINION]
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
“Nobody can predict what will happen. The pace is there, so let’s see tomorrow. We need to score with two cars and will be aggressive with Carlos on strategy for sure.”
Thankfully for Sainz, his performance in Las Vegas will give both him and Vasseur confidence that points are still on the cards tomorrow, despite the fact that he will start the Abu Dhabi GP from 16th on the grid.
The 29-year-old was running at the back of the pack at the end of lap one in Las Vegas following contact with Hamilton, but he still managed to come back to finish in P6.
Source: Read Full Article
