Vasseur issues Ferrari rallying cry after 'irrelevant' Bahrain GP setback

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has claimed "it doesn't matter about the result" after a disappointing result to start the F1 season.

The Scuderia faltered in Bahrain with Charles Leclerc retiring from the race and team-mate Carlos Sainz finishing fourth, 48 seconds off winner Max Verstappen.

Although Ferrari provided competition to Red Bull in qualifying, issues with tyre degradation severely hampered both Sainz and Leclerc on race day.

This problem is one that has carried over from 2022, with Leclerc taking pole position on nine occasions but only topping the podium three times.

Speaking after Leclerc's race-one retirement through an engine failure, Vasseur said: “It’s never good to start with a DNF and I would have preferred to finish like Red Bull.

"But now that I want to stay consistent in my position, I told the team before testing in Bahrain that the championship won’t be over in Bahrain. It doesn’t matter about the result."

READ MORE: Webber warns against ruling out extended Alonso F1 stay

Ferrari take motivation from Red Bull glory

Ferrari started last term with two wins from the opening three races, including a one-two at the Bahrain season-opening event.

Using Red Bull's comeback against Ferrari to attain both championship trophies as motivation, Vasseur added: “It was true for the winter test and it was true for this weekend, but the team experienced the opposite situation in the past.

“The most important thing now is for us to be able to have a clear picture of the situation, where we are failing, and to do a proper analysis on this and come back stronger as soon as possible.”

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