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Ferrari calls for end to 'fake' optimism

Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene has called for an end to the 'fake' optimism his team delivers on grand prix Fridays, as he insists a three-victory target for 2015 still stands.

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF15-T

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF15-T

XPB Images

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF15-T
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF15-T
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF15-T
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF15-T
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF15-T

After once again failing to deliver on encouraging long-run pace in practice for the Austrian Grand Prix, Arrivabene has suggested that the time has come for a rethink of its weekend programme.

In particular, he believes that Ferrari may have to go down the Mercedes route and start running with extra fuel on Fridays, even though it will not offer it a glimpse of its ultimate speed potential.

Looking at what happened at the Red Bull Ring, Arrivabene said: "My analysis is that it depends on how much fuel Mercedes has compared to us.

"Now I have said to the engineers: it is better to work on Friday with full, full tanks so we can see a correct comparison rather than seeing a fake one."

Convinced car can improve

Although Ferrari has been unable to repeat so far the victory it delivered in the Malaysian Grand Prix, Arrivabene is convinced that more success will happen.

He has dismissed any suggestion that Ferrari should start switching its focus to the 2016 car, as he sticks to his pre-season target of three race wins this year.

"I don't want to start like my predecessors in the past to talk about now we are concentrating on next year's car," he said.

"We have a certain team that are working for next year's car, but the team is working for this year's car.

"We are not going around the world to do racing and go on vacation. We need to do always our best and we need to sooner or later to catch Mercedes, not in 2020, but this year.

"We want to win three races, and I am still here: we want to win three races."

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