In the four races held since the summer break, Ferrari has passed Aston Martin for third place in the constructors’ championship, and cut the deficit to Mercedes in second from 56 points to 20, while Carlos Sainz became the first non-Red Bull winner of the season in Singapore.
Like other teams, Ferrari has already switched its wind tunnel programme to its 2024 car, but Vasseur insists that the team will continue to chase Mercedes without sacrificing any efforts towards next year’s programme.
"You don't have to postpone the fight, the fight is with Mercedes today, and we have to take it,” said the Frenchman.
“It's always the best way to prepare for the future, for the mindset of the team, for everybody to be into the fight is crucial. And we'll keep this fight until the end of the season."
He added: “It's never a sacrifice, because I think that performance is coming from performance. It's too late to go into the wind tunnel for this season, but what we can do on the current car will help us for next year."
Ferrari had a new floor in Suzuka, one of the last of the major upgrades for the SF-23 that are working their way from the tunnel to the track.
However Vasseur downplayed its significance in the context of the improved tyre degradation that the team demonstrated at Suzuka.
Source: Autosport