Bernie Ecclestone supported Frédéric Vasseur.

      Bernie Ecclestone has not appeared in the Formula 1 paddock for a long time, but he came to the Austrian Grand Prix and mostly spent time at the Alpine F1 team’s hospitality, which is now managed by his long-time friend and business partner Flavio Briatore.

      But in an interview with the German TV channel Sport1, the former head of the world championship’s management was asked questions about other teams as well, including Ferrari, which has clearly disappointed its fans this season.

      “It took Ferrari five years to start winning championships with Michael Schumacher,” Ecclestone reminded. “It was the same with McLaren and Mika Hakkinen, and with Red Bull before they won their first title with Sebastian Vettel in 2010. Vasseur should be given at least five years to stay on as team principal.”

      Meanwhile, on Saturday at the Austrian Red Bull Ring, Frederic Vasseur’s team performed quite well, Charles Leclerc showed the second fastest time in qualifying, and Lewis Hamilton the fourth.

      “Qualifying went well for us, everything went smoothly,” commented the head of the Italian team. “Starting from the third practice session and then in the first part of qualifying, our pace was at the right level, and our drivers were immediately able to put in good laps.

      This was very important, because if your first lap in Q1 turns out badly, you’ll have to use another set of tires, which puts you at a disadvantage in the remaining sessions.

      We managed to get through Q2 just as well, and by the final session we had two fresh sets of soft tires. Of course, our technical upgrades helped us today, even if the gain in pace they provided is measured in hundredths of a second, not tenths. But I believe that most important is for the team to operate clearly and cohesively.

      And still, it has to be said that Lando Norris was simply on another planet today. As for tomorrow’s race, we knew from the outset that Sunday would bring much hotter weather, which means we’ll have to manage the tires over the course of the distance. On the other hand, it’s possible to overtake on this track, so there shouldn’t be any particular anxiety about pit stop timing, since there will be opportunities to gain back positions.

      In yesterday’s practice sessions we showed good pace during long runs, and DRS works very effectively here, so it’s important to use this system correctly.”