Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur admitted he was surprised by the SF-26’s level of competitiveness at the Canadian Grand Prix, with the Scuderia delivering a weekend of completely contrasting fortunes between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari’s highs and lows in Canada
It was undoubtedly a tale of two Ferraris in Montreal. Lewis Hamilton secured the best result of his Ferrari career so far, taking second place at the chequered flag, while Charles Leclerc described his Canadian Grand Prix weekend as “the worst of my Formula 1 career,” after struggling with one of the lowest confidence levels he has ever experienced with the car.
Frederic Vasseur will now have to manage that internal contrast, although the Ferrari team boss did not appear overly concerned about Charles Leclerc’s morale: “In 10 days we’ll be in Monte Carlo, and he probably won’t even remember Canada existed,” Frederic Vasseur joked, staying true to his usual light-hearted approach.
The mystery behind Ferrari’s Canadian pace
In his detailed analysis with Canal+, Frederic Vasseur admitted Ferrari had not expected to be so competitive in Montreal and is still unsure what exactly made the difference.
“We expected to be much further behind,” Frederic Vasseur said. “But it’s also encouraging, because there are certain characteristics that we seem to manage better. I don’t know whether it was down to the kerbs or the slightly cooler temperatures, but we had a better weekend than expected.”
The Ferrari team principal also offered words of encouragement for Charles Leclerc, suggesting the Monegasque driver had become trapped in a negative cycle: “When you find conditions like these, where everyone struggles to get the tyres into the right operating window, confidence becomes absolutely crucial, and that made the difference for Charles. But he has enough experience to analyse the situation on his own. He arrived here with doubts and concerns because Montreal has not always been a circuit where he has performed at his best.”
“When you are on the defensive, you cannot attack, and the situation becomes more complicated. He got a little stuck in that spiral.”
Frederic Vasseur’s balanced perspective on the Canadian Grand Prix highlights the complex operational variables that dictate Scuderia Ferrari’s current world championship campaign. While processing real-time telemetry data loops and software mapping configurations allows the technical office to optimize low-speed performance, driver confidence remains a vital prerequisite for on-track success. As the trackside operations unit prepares to handle the unique geometry and unforgiving barriers of Monaco, ensuring both cars can maximize tire thermal management from the first practice session will be a core priority. If Maranello can deliver an uncompromised mechanical package that yields immediate front-row potential on Saturday, Charles Leclerc possesses the precise local knowledge and competitive fire to break out of his recent spiral and chase a historic home victory for the Tifosi.
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