Comments made by Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur have helped clarify the performance gap to Mercedes and Red Bull Ford, making it clear that the difference comes from superior technical development rather than any form of irregularity.
In a wide-ranging interview with Corriere della Sera, Fred Vasseur discussed several key topics, including the continuation of Ferrari’s partnership with Lewis Hamilton. Among his many remarks, however, one statement may not have received the attention it deserved, despite offering valuable insight into Ferrari’s current situation.
“There are elements of the power unit that we will only be able to change next year. Our rivals were better than us when it came to certain ‘tricks’.”
Those words carry significant weight, especially after months of speculation surrounding alleged irregularities in rival Formula 1 power units. In particular, there had been repeated claims suggesting Mercedes had found ways to exploit compression ratios beyond what some believed the regulations intended.
Fred Vasseur’s honesty finally puts the debate to rest
Instead of fuelling those theories, Fred Vasseur openly acknowledged that Ferrari’s competitors had simply done a better job. It was a remarkably honest assessment, and one that deserves recognition. According to the Ferrari team principal, rival manufacturers were more effective at identifying and exploiting certain grey areas within an extremely complex set of technical regulations.
These are areas that are not explicitly defined in every detail by the rulebook, but they remain entirely within the FIA’s regulatory framework. Exploiting such opportunities does not constitute breaking the rules or operating outside the regulations—it is simply part of Formula 1 engineering excellence.
This clarification is important because it effectively dismisses many of the theories that have circulated in recent months. Ferrari has accepted that, when it came to power unit development, it did not push hard enough and was likely too conservative in some of its technical choices. The Scuderia is now paying the price for that cautious approach.
The first development step introduced at the Austrian Grand Prix with the “ADUO-1” power unit has not been enough to eliminate the performance deficit that had already accumulated. Furthermore, Fred Vasseur’s own comments strongly suggest that Ferrari will not be able to fully recover the gap during the current season.
Ferrari is already looking ahead to 2027
As a result, Ferrari will have to continue working with a longer-term perspective, already setting its sights firmly on the 2027 Formula 1 season. That is precisely the strategy the team has now adopted.
From this point of view, the 2026 campaign represents a valuable learning year, allowing Ferrari to fully understand the weaknesses that have emerged and accurately identify where it still falls short compared to the current benchmarks established by Mercedes and Red Bull Ford.
While the power unit department led by Enrico Gualtieri continues working on an engine package capable of matching its rivals, Fred Vasseur has delivered an admission that should finally bring an end to much of the controversy surrounding the subject.
At least in this area, nobody in Formula 1 has been cheating. Quite simply, some manufacturers—most notably Mercedes—have done a better job developing innovative technical solutions and interpreting the regulations more effectively. Ferrari itself has now acknowledged that reality. It is a conclusion that should also be accepted by those fans and observers who, over the past few months, have preferred to focus on alleged irregularities rather than recognising genuine technical superiority.
