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Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has outlined the immense challenge his team faces in their bid to close the straight-line speed deficit.
Throughout the current campaign, the Italian outfit has consistently noted a lack of top-end speed compared to rivals like Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton corroborated this observation during the recent Italian Grand Prix, despite Ferrari introducing a new engine upgrade.
However, Vasseur stressed that the situation is incredibly complex, emphasizing that developing an improved engine is a far more significant undertaking than aerodynamic advancements.
“The engine development process is extremely lengthy. With the chassis, you can implement an improvement very quickly, almost overnight, and regain pace,” Vasseur stated. “For the engine, the process is much longer because the lead time for parts is extensive, and the cost cap doesn't simplify matters – you have to produce the engines for the season. If you want to start development, you need to produce a new batch of engines,” the Frenchman added.
This year, the FIA introduced the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) system to provide struggling teams with an extra boost to catch up. Despite this, Vasseur insisted that the assistance from the program isn't sufficient to level the playing field with the frontrunners.
“We don't expect to catch up with ADUO 1 or ADUO 2. We are taking small steps. If you make a small step with the engine, keep in mind that the gap behind us was hundredths of a second. From a grid position perspective, even adding a few horsepower is a good step. Now we will have a new engine next year. The goal is certainly to catch up as soon as possible,” Vasseur concluded.
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