Ferrari team boss outlines key condition for team to fight back in F1 Dutch GP weekend. Ferrari struggled in the first free practice sessions at the Dutch GP, with Hamilton sixth and Leclerc eighth.

Ferrari can do well, but on one condition: Fred Vasseur’s words in the Netherlands

The Dutch Grand Prix weekend is proving challenging for Ferrari, which has failed to shine in the first two free practice sessions. However, team principal Frédéric Vasseur is keeping a positive outlook. At Zandvoort, a circuit historically difficult for the Scuderia, especially on a single lap, Lewis Hamilton finished sixth in FP2 and Charles Leclerc eighth, both just under a second behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, who dominated the day.

Fred Vasseur in Zandvoort: “We lose a lot in the second sector”

Frédéric Vasseur spoke to Sky Sport F1 about the first day of work, showing caution but no alarm: “We always struggle here, especially in qualifying. This morning we were far off, but this afternoon we got closer, which shows that we are on the right track.”

He then explained the key condition for improving performance over the weekend: “We lose a lot in the second sector, particularly in the long corners like nine and ten. We hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow because we have other ideas to test that could help us continue to close the gap, as we already did this afternoon.” – the French manager pointed out at the end of the second free practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix.

During the practice sessions, Hamilton spun in both FP1 and FP2, incidents that do not worry Fred Vasseur. On the contrary, he said: “It’s good to see Hamilton pushing to the limit. When you are struggling, as we are on this track, it’s important to be able to rely on both cars to recover.” The team principal views this aggressive approach positively as they prepare for qualifying and the race.

Targeting second place in the constructors’ championship

Looking beyond the Dutch GP weekend, Fred Vasseur also discussed Ferrari’s season objectives: “What can we do in this second half of the season? First place is not within our reach, but second is. We come from a pole in Hungary, and we’ll see what we can do; it will also depend on the characteristics of each track.” This realistic approach confirms Ferrari’s goal of consolidating its role as the second-strongest team behind the dominant McLaren.

The challenge at Zandvoort has just begun, but Ferrari is determined to reduce the gap and seize every opportunity to stay in the fight for second place in the constructors’ championship.