Ross Brawn says Ferrari’s 1-2 finish at the Singapore Grand Prix will benefit both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc despite their contrasting emotions.
Having been the toast of the town at Monza, the 22-year-old had to settle for second under the lights at Marina Bay as his teammate fortuitously claimed victory.
Fortuitous because of a powerful undercut which even caught Ferrari by surprise, but the lesson of losing, the Briton thinks, will be important for Leclerc.
“Though it may sound strange to say it, it was actually also important for Charles who was clearly unhappy with how the race played out,” Brawn explained in his post-race media debrief.
“The Monegasque is hungry for wins, and so he should be, but in the long term even he will benefit from the fact the team will be much calmer now, with fewer distractions, and more able to concentrate on developing the car, which is a vital part of the preparation for next season.”
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In addition, Brawn also believes the unexpected pace of Ferrari in Singapore may mark a turning point in the Italian team, and Vettel, once again offering a consistent challenge to Mercedes.
“It was an important moment for the German who has been through a difficult period, especially in Monza when he was the member of the Ferrari team with little to smile about,” he noted.
“It was also a morale booster for the entire team, starting with [team boss] Mattia Binotto. Ferrari has clearly made progress with its car and the updates brought to Singapore had a marked effect on a circuit where downforce is key. The success of those updates bodes well for the team’s 2020 campaign as well.
“On top of that, the win was inevitably a weight off Vettel’s back. It will restore confidence and also relieve some of the pressure resulting from Leclerc’s phenomenal progress and any effect that has had on dynamics within the team.”
2016 world champion Nico Rosberg also praised Sebastian saying that, while strategy may have given the four-time champion the opportunity, he still had to deliver the goods.
“In the race, we have to say yes, the strategy was in his [Vettel’s] advantage, but still that out-lap that he did on those hard tyres was surely one of the best laps he has ever done because it was absolutely epic,” he said in his YouTube vlog.
“The computer calculations said that you should only be able to gain about two seconds, and he gained 3.4s on Charles so surely Charles didn’t do the best in-lap either, and Sebastian just did the absolute most epic out-lap the world has ever seen.
“If you do the job there in those crucial moments then you somewhat deserve the race win.”