Daily News 19

Tag: Fred Vasseur

  • Fred Vasseur shuts down claims Ferrari split Spanish GP strategy to separate drivers

    Fred Vasseur shuts down claims Ferrari split Spanish GP strategy to separate drivers

    Key Highlights

    • Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur dismissed suggestions that split tire strategies for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at the Spanish Grand Prix were designed to keep the teammates apart on track.
    • Vasseur cited identical strategy splits at McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull as evidence the approach was standard racecraft, not internal conflict management.
    • Hamilton retired early with a braking issue on soft tires, while Leclerc’s hard-tire gamble for a late safety car did not materialize, leaving Ferrari without points in Madrid.

    Vasseur Rejects Narrative of Manufactured Separation

    Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur moved decisively to quash speculation that the Scuderia’s divergent tire strategies for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at the Spanish Grand Prix were a tactical maneuver to prevent on-track friction between the pair. The scrutiny followed a tense run of races: in Zandvoort, Hamilton pleaded for team orders to pass Leclerc, and at Monza, the duo collided on the opening lap, derailing Hamilton’s afternoon. Against that backdrop, the decision to start Hamilton on soft compounds and Leclerc on hards in Barcelona invited immediate questions about whether Ferrari was engineering separation.

    Comparisons to Rivals Underscore Standard Practice

    Addressing reporters after Sunday’s race, Vasseur pointed to the grid at large to contextualize the call. “Have a look. [Lando] Norris, [Oscar] Piastri did the same. [George] Russell, [Kimi] Antonelli did the same. [Max] Verstappen, [Liam] Lawson did the same,” he said. “I don’t think they [McLaren] were scared to have a crash between Norris and Piastri.” The comparison framed the split strategy as a routine response to marginal qualifying positions—Hamilton fourth, Leclerc fifth—rather than a relationship-management tool.

    Divergent Race Outcomes Highlight Strategic Gamble

    The race itself rendered the strategic debate largely academic. Hamilton’s afternoon ended prematurely when a braking issue prevented him from exploiting the soft tire’s early-life advantage, forcing retirement after only a handful of laps. Leclerc, meanwhile, committed to a long first stint on the hard compound, banking on a late safety car that would allow a cheap pit stop for fresh rubber. That caution period never arrived, leaving the Monegasque to finish outside the points.

    Leclerc Stands by Hard-Tire Call Despite Result

    Leclerc offered a robust defense of the approach post-race, emphasizing the lack of overtaking opportunities at the Madring circuit. “We could have done many different things, but I think the best thing for us today was what we did. If I had to do the race again I would do exactly the same thing. Because starting on the soft at the beginning wouldn’t have given me the opportunity to do anything special,” he explained. “I would have ended up in the same strategy as the guys in front of me and wouldn’t have been very helpful, considering there were no overtakes. So, the hard soft was the right strategy and waiting for the safety car at the end was also the right thing to do. But, unfortunately, it never came.”

    Why This Matters

    The episode underscores the intense external pressure on Ferrari’s driver lineup, where every tactical decision is parsed for signs of internal discord. While Vasseur’s data-driven rebuttal—highlighting identical splits at McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull—is factually sound, the team’s zero-point weekend in Spain amplifies scrutiny of its strategy group. With the Constructors’ Championship battle tightening, Ferrari cannot afford weekends where both cars finish empty-handed, regardless of the strategic rationale. The next round will test whether the Leclerc-Hamilton dynamic stabilizes or continues to overshadow the Scuderia’s technical performance.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Did Ferrari split strategies to keep Leclerc and Hamilton apart?

    No. Team Principal Fred Vasseur explicitly denied this, noting that McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull all employed the same soft/hard split for their driver pairings in Spain, indicating it was a circuit-specific tactical choice rather than a relationship-management measure.

    Why did Hamilton retire from the Spanish Grand Prix?

    Lewis Hamilton suffered a braking issue early in the race that prevented him from extracting performance from his soft-compound tires, leading to his retirement after only a few laps.

    What was Leclerc’s strategy and why did it not work?

    Charles Leclerc started on hard tires aiming for a long first stint, hoping a late safety car would allow a cheap stop for softs. The safety car did not deploy, leaving him on a one-stop strategy that yielded no points at a circuit where overtaking was extremely difficult.

  • Why Ferrari Won’t Switch Focus to 2027 F1 Car Yet

    Why Ferrari Won’t Switch Focus to 2027 F1 Car Yet

    Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has confirmed the Scuderia will continue developing its SF-26 Formula 1 car despite fading championship prospects following a difficult Spanish Grand Prix.

    Championship deficit grows after Barcelona

    Lewis Hamilton retired from the Madrid race with brake issues, leaving the seven-time world champion 101 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings. Charles Leclerc managed only fourth place, resulting in Ferrari trailing Mercedes by 145 points in the constructors’ championship.

    Resource allocation remains constrained by the cost cap and aerodynamic testing restrictions. On the power unit side, Ferrari has already deployed both of its permitted ADUO upgrades for the season.

    Development focus remains on current car

    While rival teams shift attention toward 2027 regulations, Vasseur insists Ferrari’s immediate priority remains the SF-26.

    “We are not in the situation of 12 months ago,”

    the Frenchman said, referencing F1’s regulatory overhaul for 2026.

    “Today, what we will develop, we will be able to carry it over on next year’s project. We will continue to work, but perhaps on different things, different aspects. The development that we do now, 80% will be carried over.”

    Vasseur refuses to concede title fight

    When asked if Ferrari’s championship challenge was effectively over against Antonelli and Mercedes, Vasseur declined to answer directly.

    “Two or three weeks ago I told you that I will take race by race. I didn’t change,”

    he insisted.

    Qualifying performance identified as key weakness

    The team principal highlighted qualifying pace as the primary area requiring improvement. Since the summer break, neither Hamilton nor Leclerc has qualified on the front row across four sessions, including the Zandvoort sprint. Their average grid position stands at fifth, with the SF-26 trailing pole position by an average of 0.198 seconds — slower than McLaren and Mercedes but quicker than Red Bull.

    “This we need to improve, because I think when you have a look on the pace, during the race the pace is there. For sure we need to do a better job in quali.”

    Vasseur noted a consistent pattern across recent events.

    “If you take Zandvoort and this one, the profile of the event is a little bit the same for us. We had a decent pace in quali, but we didn’t put everything together on the last attempt, and race pace is OK.”

    Focus on qualifying evolution

    The Ferrari boss emphasized the need for better progression through qualifying segments rather than raw single-lap speed.

    “If I have to put the focus of the team on something today, it would be the evolution of the pace during the quali – more than the pace in quali, the evolution, the steps that you can do. We were there on run one Q3, the potential is there, we just have to adapt everything further on.”

  • Lewis Hamilton “lucky to make it round” after Spanish GP brake failure

    Lewis Hamilton “lucky to make it round” after Spanish GP brake failure

    Key Highlights

    • Lewis Hamilton retired from the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid after a sudden brake failure on the opening laps while running third.
    • Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur confirmed the team attempted remote fixes before retiring the car, citing safety concerns on the wall-lined Madring circuit.
    • Vasseur stated Ferrari had the pace to challenge for the win, but track position dominance made overtaking nearly impossible during the 57-lap procession.

    Brake Failure Ends Hamilton’s Race Early at Madring

    Lewis Hamilton’s Spanish Grand Prix ended in frustration on Sunday after a catastrophic brake failure forced the seven-time world champion into an early retirement from the inaugural running at Madrid’s Madring circuit. The Ferrari driver had been locked in a battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for third place during the opening laps when his brake pedal began to extend abnormally, leaving him unable to slow the SF-25 effectively.

    The issue manifested suddenly on the first lap. Hamilton reported that the car was stopping normally under braking for Turn 5 before the pedal “took a step,” causing him to carry excessive speed into the corner. Although the braking performance briefly recovered, giving the team and driver momentary hope, the pedal subsequently went fully to the floor. Hamilton described the incident as “really unexpected” and admitted he was “lucky to make it round” to the pits without a heavy impact, having already brushed the wall after missing a braking point.

    Ferrari Opts for Safety Over Salvage on Treacherous Layout

    With the 5.4-kilometre Madring layout lined by unforgiving barriers, Ferrari elected not to gamble on a damaged car. Team principal Fred Vasseur revealed that engineers attempted to rectify the problem via steering-wheel adjustments from the pit wall, but the failure recurred “a couple of corners later.” Vasseur characterized the decision to retire the car as straightforward: “Staying on track made no sense in a crazy race. We didn’t want to take any risk.”

    The retirement marked a bitter conclusion to a weekend where Ferrari appeared to possess genuine race-winning performance. Vasseur pointed to the pace of Hamilton’s teammate, Charles Leclerc, as evidence that the Scuderia had the speed to challenge the frontrunners. However, the team boss was blunt about the nature of the 57-lap contest, describing it as a “procession dominated by track position” where overtaking was “mega difficult.”

    Why This Matters

    The Spanish Grand Prix highlighted two critical storylines for Formula 1’s 2025 season. First, Hamilton’s mechanical DNF underscores the reliability challenges Ferrari continues to face in its championship push, wasting a rare opportunity where the SF-25 demonstrated clear front-running pace. Second, the processional nature of the race at the new Madring venue raises immediate questions about the circuit’s suitability for F1. With overtaking described as virtually impossible by a team principal whose driver was on the receiving end of the track-position trap, stakeholders will likely scrutinize whether layout modifications or regulatory adjustments are needed to prevent future editions from becoming static affairs. For Hamilton, the zero points represent a significant blow in the drivers’ standings, while Ferrari must quickly diagnose the brake-system gremlin before the next round.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What caused Lewis Hamilton’s retirement at the Spanish Grand Prix?
    A sudden brake failure caused the pedal to go long and eventually travel fully to the floor, leaving Hamilton unable to slow the car reliably. The issue first appeared on lap one at Turn 5, briefly recovered, then failed permanently.
    Why did Ferrari retire the car instead of trying to continue?
    Team principal Fred Vasseur cited the wall-lined nature of the Madring circuit and the recurrence of the failure after attempted remote fixes. He stated that continuing “made no sense in a crazy race” and the team refused to take safety risks.
    Did Ferrari have the pace to win the Spanish Grand Prix?
    According to Vasseur, the pace shown by Charles Leclerc indicated Ferrari “had the pace to fight with everybody.” However, he emphasized that track position was the decisive factor in a race where overtaking was extremely difficult.
  • Ferrari Still “Missing Pure Power” Despite ADUO 2 Upgrade

    Ferrari Still “Missing Pure Power” Despite ADUO 2 Upgrade

    Ferrari Concedes 2026 Engine Power Deficit to Mercedes After Monza Struggles

    Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Fred Vasseur has acknowledged that the Scuderia was never realistically positioned to match Mercedes on engine power for the 2026 season. The admission comes after a difficult Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, where the team’s power unit deficit was laid bare on the calendar’s most power-sensitive circuit.

    ADUO System Fails to Close Gap

    Since F1 introduced new technical regulations this year, Mercedes has fielded the most puissant power unit. The Additional Development and Upgrades Opportunities system (ADUO) was designed to help manufacturers lagging in performance catch up. Assessments based on the internal combustion engine actually identified Red Bull as having the most powerful unit. Consequently, Mercedes received one upgrade token for 2026 and 2027, while Ferrari, Audi, and Honda were each granted two.

    Despite this advantage, Ferrari’s ADUO upgrades — debuting in Austria and at Monza — have not bridged the gap. Mercedes has yet to introduce its sole update for the year, expected in October. At Monza, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth and fifth respectively. Leclerc crashed out after contact with his teammate at the start. In qualifying trim, the Ferrari power unit was 5.6 km/h slower on top speed compared to the benchmark, a figure mirrored by Oliver Bearman in the Haas.

    “At least I was right on something,”

    Vasseur quipped after the race, referencing his prior insistence that the ADUO upgrade would not be a game-changer. When asked if the upgrade met expectations and whether energy deployment contributed to the deficit, Vasseur was candid.

    “I don’t want to give details, but when you have a lack of pure power, then you start to play with deployment to try to compensate in one straight line. But if you deploy more somewhere, for sure you will deploy less somewhere else and then you are going in the wrong spiral to try to play with this when you are fighting.

    Honestly, it’s not about deployment. I think deployment was okay-ish, that even McLaren, they were playing a little bit Friday and Saturday morning. At the end, we are missing pure power.”

    Quantifying the Power Deficit

    Vasseur used a theoretical framework to explain how the deficit scales across different circuit layouts.

    “The reality of this is that if you are missing X in Zandvoort, you are two or three tenths [down]. If you are missing X minus – I’m using letters because you will try to extrapolate – if you are missing a bit less than X in Monza, the delta with the Merc is two times bigger.”

    Cost Cap and Lead Times Constrain Development

    Pressed on whether specific design choices caused the power shortfall, Vasseur highlighted the structural challenges of power unit development under the current cost cap.

    “On the engine, the process is mega long because the lead time of the parts is long and the cost cap is not easy. You have to produce the engine for the season. You are already a bit like this and if you want to start to do the development, you have to produce a new batch of engines, and it’s tricky.

    We were not expecting to recover [with] ADUO 1 or ADUO 2. We are doing small steps, but what you have to keep in mind is that if you make a small step on the engine, even if you make a couple of horsepower, it’s a good step on the grid.”

    The competitiveness of the midfield underscores this point. In Monza qualifying, just 0.127 seconds separated third-placed Oscar Piastri from seventh-placed Kimi Antonelli.

    Focus Shifts to 2025 Power Unit

    “That means that now we will have a new engine next year. For sure, the target is to catch up, to catch up as soon as possible, but I was not expecting that in two months we will recover the delta with Mercedes.”

    Championship Standings Widen

    The Monza result compounded Ferrari’s championship woes. The Scuderia’s deficit to Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship has ballooned from 87 to 122 points. In the Drivers’ standings, Hamilton now trails by 76 points after finishing only sixth at his future team’s home race.

  • Fred Vasseur Delivers Verdict on Ferrari Driver Clash at Italian GP

    Fred Vasseur Delivers Verdict on Ferrari Driver Clash at Italian GP

    Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged that the opening-lap clash between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix was “not good for the team” following a disappointing weekend for the Scuderia at Monza.

    First-lap incident drops Hamilton to tenth

    Leclerc defended aggressively against his teammate on lap one after both Ferraris started from the second row. The Monegasque driver refused to yield, pushing Hamilton wide at the exit of Turn 2 and forcing the seven-time champion into the gravel. Hamilton plummeted to 10th place as a result.

    Vasseur: ‘Outcome of Turn 1-2 is not good for the team’

    Addressing the media on Sunday night, Vasseur kept his initial remarks brief.

    “I spoke to Lewis for two seconds and not at all with Charles,” Vasseur said when asked about the incident during his media session on Sunday night. “We’ll have time to discuss that. I prefer to discuss with them first and not with you. For sure, the outcome of Turn 1-2 is not good for the team, if it’s the question.”

    Team orders debate: too early before Monza

    Ferrari has resisted imposing team orders this season despite external pressure to support Hamilton, who has been the quicker Ferrari driver relative to the Mercedes pair. Vasseur maintained that such a move would have been premature before the Italian round, though he signaled the stance could shift.

    “Now, to see if we [need to] have a team order or whatever, I think that the good comparison that I made was that last year,” he said. “Piastri was leading McLaren at this stage of the season and if McLaren put everything on Piastri, Max Verstappen would have been champion.

    “For sure, at one stage you have to take a decision, but I think it was too early to take a decision before Monza. Now I will have time to discuss with the guys.

    “For a team, it’s never good to lose points. This is clear. Now, basically at the beginning of the season, I think every single team principal in the world would love to let them race. To freeze positions when you are the team principal, don’t imagine that it’s an easy choice. You do it for the team, you do it for the results at the end, but it’s never an easy call.

    “By definition, I would love to let them race all the weekend. Now, by reason, you have to take a decision at one stage. Each team is different. We will have to take a decision when we’ll decide.”

    Drivers offer contrasting views on the clash

    Leclerc, who later retired after crashing at the Parabolica, admitted the incident went too far. “we went too far”, he said.

    Hamilton rejected the collective framing when Leclerc’s comment was put to him.

    “I was ahead in Turn 2, by the apex, I was ahead. There was no we in it.”

    Championship implications

    Following Kimi Antonelli’s victory at Monza, Hamilton now trails the Italian driver by 76 points in the drivers’ championship. In the constructors’ standings, Ferrari sits 122 points behind Mercedes.

  • How Ferrari Can “push until the end” With F1 2026 Upgrades

    How Ferrari Can “push until the end” With F1 2026 Upgrades

    Ferrari will continue developing its 2026 Formula 1 car until the end of the season, team principal Fred Vasseur has confirmed, dismissing suggestions that cost-cap restrictions could force the team to reduce its upgrade rate.

    The team has introduced a steady stream of incremental updates for its SF-26, helping Ferrari remain second in the constructors’ championship and enabling both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to win a grand prix this season.

    Ferrari’s development programme will continue at its home race in Monza this weekend. The team is expected to bring smaller aerodynamic improvements, along with its second engine update following the latest ADUO ranking.

    Ferrari maintains its 2026 F1 upgrade plan

    The performance gap between teams has narrowed significantly, particularly at circuits where the 2026 power units have less influence. Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari were separated by just one tenth of a second in sprint qualifying at Zandvoort, while three tenths has regularly been the difference between pole position and the third row of the grid.

    Teams that can continue adding performance late in the season therefore retain an opportunity to make substantial progress in the championship. However, they must balance wind-tunnel development with cost-cap restrictions and the resources needed for the 2027 car project.

    Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Ferrari chief Vasseur said the Scuderia had no concerns about the cost cap and would continue its aggressive development programme.

    “The strategy is that we will continue to push until the end,” Vasseur said. “We have a plan. We have no issue with the cost cap, we are following the plan and will continue like this.

    “It’s true that you have different strategies. You have McLaren coming each three or four races with a big package on the car, and we are more trying to bring upgrades each race but much smaller. But at the end, in terms of cost, it’s the same.

    “What is challenging, probably, is that we are still developing with 11 races to go, and I think a crash like Max [Verstappen] in Zandvoort is huge in terms of cost cap [for Red Bull]. It’s difficult to anticipate the number of crashes that you could have until the end of the season.”

    Ferrari explains its frequent smaller upgrades

    Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have all introduced significant updates this season, while Mercedes has fallen behind in development. Mercedes’ next major package is scheduled for October’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with rival teams having closed the gap in recent weeks and months.

    Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the team “hasn’t got the money to put developments on the car” beyond its current plans. However, he also suggested Ferrari and other rivals could eventually have to slow their development after bringing so many new parts to the track.

    Vasseur declined to assess Mercedes’ strategy without a full understanding of its approach. He did, however, explain how Ferrari has efficiently delivered such a high number of upgrades.

    “I don’t want to speak about Mercedes because I don’t understand, but with McLaren it’s a bit linked to how you develop in the wind tunnel and the capacity of production,” the Frenchman said. “We found our best approach by almost bringing upgrades each race. One week it’s mechanical, one week it’s aero, and we are continuing like this. It’s fitting with our capacity of production, with our wind tunnel capacity, and it’s going well.

    “Now, if McLaren want to do things differently, it’s because they have good reasons to do it. The set-up of the teams is different; the configuration is different. But at the end of the day, over a season we are almost following each other in terms of development.”

  • Guenther Steiner: Lewis Hamilton Can Win an Eighth F1 Title If Ferrari Makes One Key Call

    Guenther Steiner: Lewis Hamilton Can Win an Eighth F1 Title If Ferrari Makes One Key Call

    Guenther Steiner believes Lewis Hamilton has a small but genuine chance of winning a record eighth Formula 1 world championship in 2026. However, the former Haas team principal says Ferrari must fully back Hamilton if the Briton is to overcome championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

    Ferrari may need to prioritise Hamilton

    Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner suggested Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur may soon have to introduce clear team orders in Hamilton’s favour over team-mate Charles Leclerc.

    Hamilton has generally had the upper hand over Leclerc this season, making him Ferrari’s most likely challenger to Mercedes driver Antonelli in the title fight.

    “There need to be two things for Lewis to win the championship, the eighth one, and I think that would be a great moment for the sport, somebody winning eight championships. Kimi needs to make some mistakes. If Kimi stays clean, it will be very difficult to do, but Kimi is young and Mercedes has trouble with the car sometimes, mechanical issues.

    “At some stage, Ferrari needs to put everything behind Lewis if they are serious about winning it because he’s in front of Charles, so he should get the support,” Steiner explained.

    Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari. Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

    Steiner believes Vasseur will recognise that Ferrari cannot afford to divide its efforts between Hamilton and Leclerc if it wants to challenge Mercedes.

    “I think Fred will be doing that and saying, ‘Hey guys, we need to put our money on one of the guys and not try to have papaya rules here.’ They need the help of Kimi and Mercedes as well. Otherwise, it will be very difficult.”

    Asked whether Hamilton can win his eighth world title this season, Steiner said the possibility remains, but the outcome could depend heavily on Antonelli and Mercedes’ performance during the second half of the campaign.

    “I think there is a small chance that it can happen, yes. For me, the biggest thing is how much Kimi and Mercedes will be struggling in the second half of the season.”

    Antonelli currently leads team-mate George Russell and Hamilton by 59 points, with Russell and Hamilton level on points.

  • Ferrari “can’t leave more points on the table” with Race Execution

    Ferrari “can’t leave more points on the table” with Race Execution

    Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has urged the team to improve its Formula 1 race weekend execution as the performance gap between the leading 2026 teams continues to narrow.

    After dedicating much of 2025 to preparing for the new regulations, Ferrari has produced a competitive SF-26 and continued to introduce upgrades aimed at giving Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc a chance to win a grand prix. The team currently sits second in the constructors’ championship.

    However, Ferrari failed to convert its pace into podium finishes at the last two races in Hungary and the Netherlands, despite having a car capable of challenging for the top three.

    Ferrari missed opportunities in Hungary and the Netherlands

    Ferrari appeared strong during practice at the twisty Hungaroring, a circuit expected to suit the team’s strengths, and Hamilton narrowly missed pole position. A poor start, a speeding penalty and slow pit stops subsequently prevented both drivers from finishing on the podium.

    At Zandvoort, Ferrari believed it lost performance during qualifying after its tyres fell outside the ideal operating window. The team also missed further opportunities during the race to secure a podium on a circuit that suited the SF-26 and helped mask weaknesses in Ferrari’s power unit.

    Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

    Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Vasseur acknowledged that Ferrari cannot afford to leave points on the table if it is to close the gap to Mercedes and hold off a resurgent McLaren. He also stressed that the team has made significant progress in recent seasons.

    “Honestly, I think we made a huge step in terms of execution over the last two or three years. In terms of strategy, pitstops, we are doing well,” Vasseur said. “We missed opportunities mainly over the last two weekends, but I’m not sure that we missed more opportunities than McLaren or Mercedes from the beginning of the season.

    “But if you want to be the champion, you can’t leave points on the table. We have to score the maximum number of points that we can.”

    Ferrari focuses on execution as performance gaps shrink

    Ferrari has introduced an impressive number of upgrades in recent weeks and months. Further aerodynamic components and an upgraded engine are expected for the team’s home race at Monza this weekend.

    With the field continuing to converge in outright performance, Vasseur believes that maximising the car’s potential during every part of the race weekend is becoming increasingly important.

    “You have two races. You have the development race; race after race, you are bringing parts to improve the potential. But then you have also to be at the limit of your potential,” he pointed out. “Sometimes you are doing well, sometimes not.

    “It’s challenging this season because everything is new. Regulations, energy, tyres are different compared to last year, so it means that we have many more new questions on the table than we had last year, and it’s why we are all making more mistakes. But my job is also to minimise this number of mistakes. It doesn’t matter what the others are doing, but we have to minimise this.”

    Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

    Power unit performance remains crucial in Formula 1

    Although teams have developed a better understanding of the complex 2026 power units and the regulations governing their operation, energy deployment can still have a major impact on performance.

    “The power unit is the key. From one lap to the other you can still have a swing of performance,” the Frenchman cautioned. “It’s much less than what we had in China or Australia, where we were sometimes losing four, five tenths. Now we are losing one or two. But that’s four positions on the grid in Zandvoort. It means that we need to keep this [focus].

    “I think it’s more linked to the fact that it’s a new area of regulations and a challenging year, but it’s one of the focus areas of the team for sure.”

    Ferrari enters the Italian Grand Prix weekend 87 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ standings. Hamilton is level on points with George Russell, with both drivers 59 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

    Source: www.motorsport.com

  • How Fred Vasseur Is Challenging Ferrari to Take More Risks

    How Fred Vasseur Is Challenging Ferrari to Take More Risks

    Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 car, the SF-26, has emerged as one of the grid’s most innovative designs after debuting several striking aerodynamic solutions during winter testing in Bahrain.

    The car featured an unusual vane behind the exhaust pipe on the opening day, internally known as FTM. One day later, Ferrari introduced an even more eye-catching rear wing that rotated 180 degrees between cornering and straight-line modes. The design was quickly nicknamed the “Macarena wing.”

    Ferrari leads F1 innovation with SF-26

    The exhaust wing and upside-down rear wing are only the most visible examples of Ferrari’s technical innovation. While both elements have had a relatively minor performance impact, their unusual appearance attracted significant attention and highlighted a Ferrari team increasingly willing to lead rather than follow its rivals.

    Red Bull and McLaren have since introduced their own versions of the upside-down rear wing. Red Bull is believed to have developed its solution independently of Ferrari, while McLaren began work on its design after recognising the opportunity created by Ferrari’s concept.

    Ferrari’s exhaust wing has also been widely copied, although rival teams have reportedly struggled to replicate it as effectively. Ferrari made specific rear-end design choices to accommodate the system, making the FTM difficult to reverse-engineer.

    Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

    Photo by: Marcel van Dorst / EYE4images / NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Ferrari’s innovative 2026 car is the result of a deliberate cultural shift led by team principal Fred Vasseur. Since joining the team at the start of 2023, Vasseur has focused on reducing blame culture at Maranello and encouraging engineers to take greater risks.

    In an interview with Motorsport.com, Vasseur said Ferrari needed a change in mentality across every area of the team, not only aerodynamic design. In Formula 1, small performance gains can accumulate quickly, particularly as the field becomes more closely matched. Those margins can determine whether a driver starts from the front row or qualifies sixth.

    “It’s true that from day one I had the feeling that we have to take more risks,” Vasseur explained. “More risk on track, more risk on the innovation, on the development to take a different direction compared to the others, not to follow the others.”

    Ferrari’s willingness to take risks has not always produced the desired result. The team’s design choices, car set-up decisions and race strategies have occasionally taken it in the wrong direction. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have both won a grand prix this year in a more competitive Ferrari, but Vasseur believes the team’s decision-making will improve as it continues to adopt a bolder approach.

    “Sometimes it’s paying off, sometimes it’s not,” he said. “When you are a bit aggressive on strategy, sometimes you are a genius, like in Barcelona, and sometimes not, but we are the same guys on the pitwall.

    “I think we need to develop this mentality because you are improving on taking risks. You will improve in the risk assessment. You will improve in the capacity to make decisions, it means that we have to continue to do so, and we will do better and better race after race.”

    Cost cap raises the stakes for technical risks

    Changing an established company culture takes time, which explains why the process has remained a major focus for Vasseur. Innovation also carries significant risks under Formula 1’s cost cap and development restrictions, as teams cannot simply invest unlimited money in experimental ideas.

    “I’m very pleased with what we did in terms of options of development, because with the cost cap, when you are taking this direction, if it’s not paying off, it’s negative,” Vasseur explained. “It’s not that if it’s not paying off, it’s [just] a shame. You are putting your money, you are betting on something.”

    Vasseur said he was “more than keen” for Ferrari to continue leading Formula 1’s development race. He believes the team’s changing culture is giving engineers the confidence to innovate instead of playing safe because they fear the consequences of failure.

    “It was important for the guys in the team to feel the support from the company when they were innovating,” the Frenchman said. “I hope it’s only the start of this process, and that we will be able to continue to have the same approach and the same dynamic.

    “We will have a convergence of directions that we are taking, because one of the favourite parts of F1 is also to copy the others. But if we can stay one step ahead and lead the pack on some topics on some projects, I am more than keen.

    “For sure it will be more and more difficult, but it will be the same challenge for everybody.”

    Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari

    Photo by: Michael Potts / LAT Images via Getty Images

  • Ferrari Urged to Support Lewis Hamilton as Guenther Steiner Warns of Team Orders

    Ferrari Urged to Support Lewis Hamilton as Guenther Steiner Warns of Team Orders

    Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes Ferrari must establish clear rules of engagement and support Lewis Hamilton over Charles Leclerc if the team is to remain in contention for the 2026 Formula 1 championship.

    Ferrari’s internal driver dynamic came under scrutiny after the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, where contrasting strategies created tension between Hamilton and Leclerc. Hamilton was running on fresher tyres and had stronger pace, but was held up behind his Ferrari team-mate. The delay cost the seven-time world champion valuable time and led to frustrated radio complaints.

    Steiner calls for clear Ferrari team orders

    Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner argued that Ferrari should have agreed on potential team orders before the race rather than trying to manage the situation during it.

    “You cannot implement team orders during a race,” Steiner explained. “You need to agree them beforehand. The realistic thing is, can Charles really win the world championship? Maybe not. And who is in front? Lewis.

    “I haven’t done the calculations of how realistic it is for him to win the world championship, but if one of the two can win, it is Lewis. So, as somebody else has shown, if you want to win, it’s very tight up front there. You need to put your money on the guy who has got the better chance.

    Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari. Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

    “That’s the guy in front, who has got more points, and that is the only selling point to Charles. ‘Hey buddy, your team-mate has done better up to now. Now he’s number one.’”

    Fred Vasseur must lead Ferrari’s championship strategy

    Steiner said Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is responsible for making the team’s position clear to both drivers and deciding whether one driver should receive priority in the title fight.

    “Fred, that is his job,” he said. “I don’t think John Elkann should or would get involved in it because if he gets involved in that one at that stage, he needs to run the team.

    “But I think Fred is very much in control of it because Fred needs to win a world championship.”