Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has dismissed talk that Red Bull are the team to beat in Formula 1, despite Max Verstappen's recent wins in Sepang and Singapore.
Red Bull have returned to form in recent races, with Verstappen dominating the last two races, and also finishing on the podium eight times in the last ten races. Ferrari were the closest competition to Verstappen in Singapore, with Charles Leclerc finishing second, albeit, seven seconds behind the Dutchman.
Questioned about whether Red Bull are the team to beat in Formula 1, Vasseur pointed out that the competitive order has shifted throughout the season. He replied: "Not sure. Honestly, they are doing very well, but it's not the team to beat."
He pointed to how the leading teams have taken turns at the front. “If you look at the McLaren and Mercedes, from the beginning of the season, Mercedes was flying, then we won two races, then McLaren won two races, then Red Bull won two or three.”
Vasseur says upgrades could change the picture
Vasseur argued that the order could shift again as teams introduce upgrades. He said the close competition means no team can be certain of holding an advantage for long.
“If someone is bringing upgrades next week, the classification can change,” he said. “The most important thing is to be focused on ourselves, not to think about the others.”
Vasseur is not the only figure in Formula 1 to downplay whether Red Bull are the team to beat. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who finished third in Singapore, highlighted the difference that Verstappen is making at Red Bull.
“I think, yes, probably mostly us not extracting the maximum out of the new package," he said. "Of course Red Bull has done an incredible step forward. But as well, Max has probably been more comfortable with the car and just extracting more out of it. So, it’s a combination of things.”