Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur commented on the Melbourne race for the SF-26, saying he is moderately satisfied. The Prancing Horses battled the W17s in the first third of the race, but with a different strategy, they would not have been able to stay with the Silver Arrows. Updates to the chassis are expected in the upcoming Grands Prix.
Ferrari began the 2026 season with a podium from Charles Leclerc and a fourth-place finish from Lewis Hamilton, who looked revitalized after a concerning 2025 performance year.
Mercedes did what was expected of them: take the win and secure a one-two finish. However, at least during the first part of the race, the battle between the two teams was tight.
Until lap 13, Charles Leclerc and George Russell fought wheel-to-wheel for the lead. Then, a Virtual Safety Car triggered by Isack Hadjar’s retirement created a divergence in strategies between Mercedes and Ferrari. Mercedes opted for a double pit stop, while Ferrari chose to keep its drivers on track.
Ferrari’s plan was to make a single pit stop later in the race. When a second VSC occurred, triggered this time by Valtteri Bottas’ retirement, the pit lane was closed due to the position of the Finnish driver’s Cadillac.
After the Australian Grand Prix, Frédéric Vasseur spoke to Sky Sport F1, explaining that even if Ferrari had matched Mercedes’ strategy with just one car, victory would not have been possible.
“I don’t know if diversifying the strategy could have led to anything better. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I think not. When they pitted, it was hard to think they could have done a single stop. Our goal was to do one stop much later, but we were unlucky with the second Virtual Safety Car (triggered by Bottas’ retirement) when the pit lane was closed. But it is what it is. I think Mercedes was stronger than us all weekend. For us, though, it was a good starting point. We know where we are, and we have a lot of work to do, many improvements to make before the next race.”
In the race, Ferrari seemed closer to Mercedes than they were in qualifying. According to Fred Vasseur, the Silver Arrows have about half a second advantage over the SF-26.
“I think the gap to Mercedes we saw yesterday was bigger than what we saw today. But we could have done several things better. We need to correct the small mistakes we already made in China, but overall I believe the gap to Mercedes is around half a second. I don’t know if it’s a little more or a little less, but roughly there.”
“We have several things to improve for China and during the season. I already said that what we saw in Melbourne wouldn’t matter. The point is how and how much you improve over the season. We have a very long list of things to fix.”
The gap mentioned by the team principal is not entirely clear whether it comes solely from the power unit or if the W17 chassis also gives advantages. What is certain is that Ferrari is working on major upgrades to reduce—and perhaps close—the gap to the Brackley cars.
“It’s difficult to know exactly where the gap to Mercedes is, whether it’s all power unit or also the car. Sometimes compromises are made on the power unit for the chassis or vice versa. But overall, they are half a second faster than us. Soon we will bring a nice chassis update, but we also have to work on the power unit and energy management. This is true for us and everyone. Mercedes will also improve in turn. But we have to focus on ourselves. We have many areas to improve, but the result is decent and it’s a good way to start the season.”
Next week, Mercedes will again start as favorites. However, the Chinese circuit could present surprises, as it is very different from Albert Park in Melbourne.
“China has a completely different track. Melbourne is one of the most challenging circuits of the season for energy, with the long straight up to turn 12. In China it will be different, and temperatures will also vary. I don’t expect Mercedes to be tenth, but the situation could be slightly different,” the French manager concluded.
Frédéric Vasseur’s pragmatic assessment of the 0.5s gap to Mercedes sets a clear tone for Ferrari’s 2026 development roadmap. By acknowledging that both the Power Unit and energy management remain key areas for refinement, the Frenchman is bracing the Tifosi for a season-long chase—one that hinges on the success of the upcoming chassis updates and the team’s ability to maximize their performance on tracks less energy-dependent than Albert Park.
