Vasseur: “Ferrari is working well, we are aggressive in our own way”
The victory in Barcelona represents a major achievement for Scuderia Ferrari, but Frederic Vasseur is urging everyone in the camp to maintain their balance and focus. For the French team principal, the success achieved by Lewis Hamilton does not alter the developmental path undertaken by the squad over recent weeks, even if some celebrations are absolutely mandatory. “For me, it’s an extraordinary feeling. We will celebrate at the factory because this victory is the reward for the hard work of over 1,500 people who are pushing incredibly hard.”
The value of victory and Hamilton’s ‘rebirth’
Vasseur emphasized that the result secured on Spanish soil is primarily the fruit of a long-term foundation rather than an overnight turnaround. “Nothing has changed compared to last week. The result is different, the outcome of the race is different, but the commitment of the guys in the garage, in Maranello, from Lewis, and from Charles has not changed from seven days ago. We must stay calm. It is not as if everything is magical today while last week it wasn’t.”
According to the Frenchman, their recent progress stems from an ever-improving harmony between Hamilton and the team. “We are improving our mutual understanding. Lewis knows Ferrari better and better, and we know him better and better. In the end, it is a matter of details. Yesterday in qualifying, there were six or seven cars blanketed within a single tenth, and this means small details can make an enormous difference in terms of position. I consider it an exceptionally positive result, a great reward for everyone: for Lewis, for the team in Maranello, and for the crew at the track.”
One of the central talking points after the checkered flag was the trajectory of Lewis Hamilton, who clinched his first-ever victory for Scuderia Ferrari. “I don’t take any credit for this. The credit belongs entirely to Lewis. He was capable of reacting after difficult moments and complicated weekends. Every single Tuesday he was at the factory, ready to go again and keep pushing.” For Fred Vasseur, this work ethic has had a massive ripple effect on the workforce. “When a seven-time world champion continues to commit himself in this manner, it becomes an enormous motivation for everyone working in Maranello.”
The Frenchman also reflected on the hardships faced by the British driver last year. “His final season at Mercedes was not simple. Even the beginning of his journey with us was not always easy. There were complicated moments where he was a bit down and trying to build his relationship with the team. But he never lost energy or belief in the project.”
Vasseur preferred not to single out individual figures when trying to find who was “most responsible” for this grand result in Barcelona, whether concerning Hamilton’s garage or the car itself. “If we are achieving results, it is because we are doing a good job collectively. Carlo Santi is working well with Lewis, but it would be wrong to place one individual ahead of the others. When things go poorly, I try to protect the team and take responsibility. Today, I don’t want to put the spotlight on one specific department or person. This victory belongs to everyone.”
A rising Ferrari, but development will decide the championship
The team principal spots encouraging signs in recent races but fiercely avoids drawing hasty conclusions. “We are moving in the right direction. We had a good weekend in Canada, a good one in Monaco, and here too our pace was competitive right from the beginning. We were able to fight for pole position with both cars, and this definitely represents a step forward.” For Vasseur, however, the real deciding factor of the 2026 season will be a team’s long-term upgrade capacity.
“I think this championship will be decided by the teams’ ability to develop the car. Over the past twenty-five years, we were used to saying that whoever was strong in Barcelona would dominate the season. This year will not be like that. It will be a question of who can bring more performance to the car race after race. We introduced something this weekend. The others will probably bring updates to Silverstone or elsewhere. It will be a continuous development battle. We brought upgrades while others didn’t. Maybe they will bring theirs at Silverstone, or I don’t know when, but we will bring more too!”
Regarding this development push, Fred Vasseur was asked if the Scuderia has adopted a more aggressive design approach this year, an idea the Frenchman partially agrees with. “I don’t know precisely what you mean by aggressive. We took our own path in development, such as with the rear wing or the winglet behind the exhaust. We can define that as aggressive, if you like. But then the shape of the sidepods or the engine cover, that is a matter of design philosophy, not about being more or less aggressive.”
Brushing aside the immediate euphoria, Vasseur warned against using Barcelona as an absolute benchmark for the rest of the year. “We have to be careful. Just because you had a great weekend doesn’t mean you will dominate every race from now until the end of the season. The conditions were unique and very extreme. Tire management remains right on the edge, and you can have an excellent stint or a difficult one with the exact same car on the exact same track. Sometimes we are more competitive on the Hards, other times on the Mediums. Nothing we saw here can be considered a guarantee for the rest of the year.”
Although Hamilton is now firmly in the title hunt, sitting second in the Drivers’ Championship and trailing leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli by 41 points, Vasseur completely refuses to look at the standings. “Two weeks ago it felt like everything was a disaster, today people are already talking about the championship. It is the worst possible approach. We must head to Austria with the exact same mindset we had in Barcelona. We must not think about the championship, nor imagine twenty-five victories from now until the end of the year. I will never do that.”
Leclerc maintains confidence despite technical DNF
Finally, Fred Vasseur spoke about Charles Leclerc, who was forced into a painful retirement by a mechanical failure during a challenging phase of his afternoon. “We don’t know the cause in full detail yet, but it appears to be a hydraulic issue,” he noted after the race, though he preferred to focus on the encouraging pace shown by the Monégasque. “I am much more positive about Charles compared to two or three weeks ago. He has rediscovered his confidence in the car; yesterday he was in the fight for pole position and today the feeling was much better.”
While the sudden DNF and a strategy compromised by the Virtual Safety Car ruined his afternoon, the French manager is looking at the bigger picture. “He was starting tenth and the race was made more difficult by the strategy as well. However, the general feeling and the level of confidence he has in the car today are net improvements compared to a few weeks ago.”
In summary, Frederic Vasseur’s measured reaction to Ferrari’s Spanish Grand Prix victory underscores Maranello’s commitment to long-term consistency over short-term hype. While Lewis Hamilton’s milestone win and Charles Leclerc’s recovered confidence prove the SF-26 package is on the right path, the team’s leadership remains fully aware that surviving the relentless 2026 development war will require executing flawless operational weekends rather than focusing on early championship mathematics.
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