Ferrari: We can’t be satisfied with how things went in Qatar

The writing was on the wall for Ferrari as apart from a brief show of speed in practice one, the Reds were simply playing catch up with McLaren and Mercedes, while there is not need to compare them with Red Bull.

The SF-23 was simply not on the pace, despite Leclerc's and Sainz's best efforts, the latter even falling prey to track limit violations which meant he would've started the Qatar Grand Prix last Sunday from 12th, had he started that is.

A fuel system problem meant the Spaniard withdrew from the race, which meant Leclerc was carrying the Ferrari flag around the Lusail International Circuit, finishing fifth, which would've been lower had Lewis Hamilton remained in the race; the seven-time Formula 1 Champion took himself out after a move, which he cannot be proud of, on teammate George Russell.

Reflecting on his team's weekend in Qatar, Vasseur said in Ferrari's post race brief: "We can’t be satisfied with how things went this weekend, because we have lost points to our closest rival and we were unable to get Carlos to the grid because of a reliability problem.

"However, I think we did the most we could today with Charles," he pointed out. "In extreme conditions he drove very well and the mechanics delivered three excellent pit stops. Maybe in the middle stint, we were slowed a bit by traffic, but anyway, it would not have been easy to keep George Russell behind us today."

The Frenchman weighed in on the Pirelli/Lusail kerbs tyre saga, as well as the heat and humid conditions in Qatar.

He said: "It was a chaotic weekend, held in very tough conditions with several unexpected factors, starting with the problems linked to the kerbs, which might have actually had something to do with the failure on Carlos’ SF-23.

"We go home with 10 points from Charles' fifth place and will start preparing for the triple-header in the Americas which look like being very tough," Vasseur concluded.

After racing to fifth last Sunday in Qatar, Leclerc commented: "We maximized our potential today. It was a case of damage limitation, with Carlos already out just before the start.

"In the race, we had to give ourselves a bit of a margin with the way I was driving and bring it home safely. We expected McLaren to be strong, but not as strong as what we saw this weekend. Mercedes also had a strong pace and I think that George (Russell) wasn’t pushing as hard as he could.

"Physically, it was the toughest race of my career," the Monegasque admitted. "That was due to a number of things: very high temperatures, three stops – which meant putting in qualifying laps in every lap of the race – and as a result, much more stress in the high speed corners.

"Next up is the triple header and we will do everything to finish the season on a high, especially in our battle in the Constructors’ Championship," Leclerc concluded.

Sainz who watched the race from Ferrari's garage lamented missing out on a chance to drive, he said: "We are disappointed as today was a lost opportunity.

"We all know motorsport can be cruel at times and today I got a taste of the worst of it. It’s a pity because I think I could have run a good race today and scored some important points for the Constructors’ Championship.

"As in every situation, there's always something to learn for the future. Now it’s time to focus on the last five races of the year," the Spaniard concluded.

Ferrari leave Qatar still third in the 2023 F1 Constructors' Championship, now 28 points behind Mercedes in second.