Ferrari reject conventional F1 wisdom as major prediction made

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has rejected the idea that because his team dominated the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, it is to be considered as F1 title favourites. 

In the previous 35 races held at the circuit since it joined the calendar in 1991, 27 of them have been won by the team that ultimately would go on to claim the constructors' title, with 22 winning drivers going on to claim the drivers' title. 

The circuit is renowned for being a true test of a car's capabilities and its weaknesses, with its variety of high-speed corners and heavy braking zones. 

Lewis Hamilton ultimately claimed victory in the SF-26, which was armed with a huge raft of upgrades for its second big package in a handful of races, following on from the Miami GP. 

However, Vasseur has rejected the convention that because Ferrari was strong in Barcelona, it would be strong elsewhere and believes that the rate and scale of upgrades will be the key factor in determining who will win the titles, especially as the regulation set is immature, providing plenty of scope to find upgrades.

"What is good is that we are going in the right direction," Vasseur told media, including RacingNews365.

"It was a good weekend in Canada, and this weekend, the pace was good from the beginning, and we were able to fight [on Saturday] with two cars for pole position, so yes, it is a good step forward.

"But I think what is important is that this season, the championship will be based on the capacity of the team to develop, not on the picture of Barcelona. 

"Usually, in the last 25 years, we would say that a good car in Barcelona would dominate the season, but I think this season, it would be much more based on the capacity of all the teams to bring performance to the car."