Vasseur responds to Wolff: “McLaren superior, but they did not humiliate us”
Ferrari endured another nightmare weekend at Zandvoort, finishing the Dutch Grand Prix with a double zero that highlighted once again the team’s troubled relationship with the Dutch circuit. Team Principal Frederic Vasseur described Friday as “the worst Friday in the last three years”, a setback that forced the Scuderia onto the back foot throughout the event. The final outcome, a double retirement ahead of Monza, was far from what Ferrari had hoped for, even if Mercedes and Red Bull only gained relatively little in the championship standings.
The real Ferrari pace and McLaren’s dominance – Fred Vasseur sees positives
McLaren’s superiority has now been acknowledged across the paddock, with numbers, results and on-track performances speaking for themselves. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff even described Ferrari’s result as a humiliation, pointing out how both MCL39s pulled away from the pack thanks to a significant tyre advantage in the opening laps. Fred Vasseur responded by clarifying that the gap was undeniable, but he would not go so far as to call it humiliation. He explained that McLaren managed the early stages and, when they pushed, they immediately gained an advantage. According to him, they are currently faster than everyone, with a slight edge in qualifying but an even bigger one in race pace.
A weekend spent chasing from behind
Ferrari’s Dutch GP was defined by constant recovery attempts and defensive racing, starting from a poor opening day. “We had the worst Friday of the year, and of the last three years. Nothing worked,” Vasseur admitted. Yet he also underlined how engineers and drivers reacted, working together to move in the right direction. Despite the final double DNF, Ferrari was able to recover enough to run close to Max Verstappen at times, showing encouraging race pace. Vasseur highlighted that both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fundamental to this effort.
The SF-25 struggled to shine in both qualifying and the race. Charles Leclerc was self-critical after a disappointing qualifying lap, while traffic later limited the potential pace of both cars. An undercut attempt on Isack Hadjar failed, partly due to Lewis Hamilton’s out-lap crash coinciding with Leclerc’s pit strategy. This not only cost Leclerc track position but also allowed George Russell to move ahead. Traffic further complicated Ferrari’s race management, with Leclerc even asked to slow down to manage rising temperatures. “The pace was similar to Max,” Fred Vasseur noted, “but Isack Hadjar was also very strong. Against Mercedes, however, we managed to beat them on track.”
Antonelli’s apology and Leclerc’s Russell move
Addressing Charles Leclerc’s retirement, Fred Vasseur revealed that Kimi Antonelli had already approached him personally to apologise. “I really appreciated that – it showed class, and not everyone would do the same,” the Ferrari boss said, stressing that at Zandvoort overtaking chances are rare and risky. Leclerc’s overtake attempt on George Russell, meanwhile, was under investigation but ultimately went unpunished. Vasseur explained that there was uncertainty about the move, as Russell was not expecting Leclerc to appear on his left while he was focused on the inside line, and the chicane cut created ambiguity for the stewards. In the end, the lack of penalty was confirmed for that reason.
Hamilton’s progress despite errors and penalty
Lewis Hamilton’s weekend was mixed: he showed increasing confidence with the SF-25 but also made several mistakes in free practice and during the race. Fred Vasseur pointed out that the Briton’s off-track moment was not about confidence but track conditions, as the surface was slightly damp at that time. “We will analyse the data, but Lewis had good pace, was close to Charles and catching Russell. It was a solid recovery after difficult races before the summer break,” the French manager explained. Despite the crash and the costly zero, the seven-time world champion left Zandvoort with a much better mood. He felt competitive again, fighting for the top five, which Fred Vasseur described as a positive sign for Monza. The downside, however, is the five-place grid penalty Hamilton will have to serve at Ferrari’s home race.
Looking ahead to Monza
Hamilton returned from the summer holidays declaring that he wanted to enjoy the second half of the season more and rediscover the fun of driving. Fred Vasseur joked that he felt the same way, adding that everything depends on results. With Ferrari showing glimpses of competitive pace at Zandvoort despite the chaos, the Team Principal stressed that if they can maintain rhythm, build confidence, and continue their progress, then both the drivers and the team can look forward to enjoying the rest of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
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