Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has acknowledged that the SF-26 is currently one or two tenths of a second behind McLaren at Zandvoort, after qualifying left Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on the third row and more than three tenths away from pole position. On a lap lasting only around 70 seconds, the deficit was significant enough to underline a Dutch Grand Prix weekend in which Ferrari has not looked capable of fighting consistently for the front of the grid.
The Sprint format made it more difficult for the Maranello team to extract the full potential from its upgrade package, with limited practice time available to understand and optimise the new components. Even so, Vasseur believes McLaren’s progress is clear. Ferrari had already approached the weekend knowing the shortened format would make execution particularly important, as the team principal explained when setting out Ferrari’s strategy for the crucial Zandvoort weekend.
Vasseur admits Ferrari is behind McLaren at Zandvoort
“This weekend we are one step behind McLaren,” Fred Vasseur told Sky. “They are one or two tenths faster depending on the circumstances.”
The qualifying stopwatch supported that assessment. Ferrari’s two SF-26s could manage only the third row, more than three tenths away from pole, and neither car gave the impression of being a genuine contender for first place. It is a situation Ferrari had not experienced for several Grands Prix.
The result is especially disappointing because Zandvoort was expected to offer the Italian team an opportunity to perform strongly. Ferrari also arrived in the Netherlands with important aerodynamic developments, although the Sprint schedule reduced the amount of track time available to understand them fully. The latest technical package included significant revisions to the SF-26 floor and related aerodynamic areas as Ferrari continued trying to widen the car’s operating window.
Charles Leclerc’s Sprint move gives Ferrari some hope
Ferrari can at least draw encouragement from what happened during the Sprint. Charles Leclerc managed to overtake Lando Norris and move into second place, demonstrating that the SF-26 can be competitive over a longer run even if repeating the same manoeuvre in the Grand Prix will be far from straightforward.
Vasseur is therefore not approaching the race as though Ferrari has already been beaten. “We have one extra new set of Soft tyres and lots of possibilities at the start,” the Frenchman explained.
That additional fresh Soft set gives the Scuderia another strategic option as it attempts to recover from its disappointing grid positions. At the same time, overtaking at Zandvoort remains particularly difficult, making the opening phase and tyre strategy especially important for Hamilton and Leclerc.
Ferrari’s Zandvoort upgrades face a difficult test
The limited preparation time has complicated Ferrari’s effort to assess its latest developments properly. Nevertheless, the team has gathered encouraging indications from the updated floor, even if other weaknesses have prevented the SF-26 from translating those gains into a stronger qualifying result. A detailed technical examination of the package found that Ferrari achieved the balance improvement it wanted from the new floor while still encountering other limitations at Zandvoort.
The race will therefore provide another opportunity to understand whether the car’s stronger long-run characteristics can compensate for its lack of outright qualifying performance. After Leclerc’s second place in the Sprint, Ferrari knows there is more potential available over a race distance than its third-row starting positions might initially suggest.
ADUO-2 becomes crucial for Ferrari ahead of Monza
Beyond the Dutch Grand Prix, attention is already turning towards ADUO-2, which is expected for Ferrari’s home race at Monza. The development is becoming increasingly important if the Scuderia is to remain fully involved in the fight for the World Championships.
Ferrari’s objective is not simply to protect second place from an expected McLaren recovery. The priority remains closing the gap to Mercedes and maintaining a genuine championship challenge, while McLaren continues its difficult pursuit as it attempts to defend the world titles secured a year ago.
Zandvoort has shown that Ferrari still has work to do. Fred Vasseur accepts that McLaren currently holds a measurable performance advantage this weekend, but the extra Soft tyre set, the possibilities at the start and the race pace demonstrated by Charles Leclerc in the Sprint ensure the Dutch Grand Prix remains an important opportunity for the Scuderia.
Leave a Reply