The Japanese marque's technical director Pascal Vasselon made the comment after wrapping up the 2023 manufacturers' title with a 1-2 finish on home turf, having overcome a stiff challenge from Porsche.
By contrast, the two Ferrari 499Ps finished a lap down in fourth and fifth on what was the Prancing Horse's least competitive showing since it stepped up to the top class of the WEC this year.
Vasselon pointed to the pace Antonio Fuoco was able to show in the #50 Ferrari LMH during the final two hours of the race, with the 27-year-old able to pass Alessandro Pier Guidi in the sister #51 car and then stretch out a 21-second advantage en route to fourth.
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“If you look at the laptimes, we are talking one or two tenths [between the manufacturers],” Vasselon told reporters post-race. “On the best 60 percent of laps we are within two tenths of Porsche.
“And if you look at Ferrari, Fuoco was really competitive. The first stint of Fuoco [was impressive].
“So I think at Ferrari, they have a little bit of a problem with the level of drivers because Fuoco was clearly competitive. I would think we have more consistent drivers.”
The Fuji result leaves Ferrari's hopes of winning the drivers' title hanging by a thread, with the #51 crew of Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi now 31 points adrift of the leading #8 Toyota trio with only 39 points on offer in the Bahrain season finale.
Fuoco and his team-mates in the #50 car, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina, are a further five points behind in fourth.
Source: Autosport