Fred Vasseur has shared insights into what Ferrari aims to achieve during the opening races of the 2026 Formula 1 season, a period in which everything could change rapidly. The first outings of 2022 had raised hopes among the Tifosi, who believed the team could finally return to competing for the world championship, thanks to what Charles Leclerc had called “the beast.” However, the track later told a different story, with reliability issues preventing the Monegasque driver from securing victories even when they seemed within reach.
Setting the direction
For this reason, Ferrari’s goal for the opening races of 2026 is not to chase immediate wins. Fred Vasseur explained this in a recent interview with Sky Sport during the traditional end-of-year lunch in Maranello, celebrating the conclusion of the season. He stated, “I think there is always something to learn from every season. It is not just about results or positions. You can win races and still have many areas that need work. We are coming off a very challenging season, which started with several difficulties during testing in Bahrain and the double disqualification in Shanghai. All of this put us under pressure, and by the end of April, we were already over a hundred points behind McLaren, with several tenths of a second off their pace. That is why we decided to start focusing early on 2026.”
The former Alfa Romeo team principal then shifted the discussion toward the next season and the approach Ferrari plans to adopt. “We know that 2025 was not positive, and we took some time to understand why. Now we are starting from scratch; everything will be new, which is a huge opportunity for everyone. I believe the standings we see in Australia could change race by race. There are many development opportunities, so it will not be crucial to win the first two or three races immediately. We need to look at the long term and adopt a different approach compared to last year. No one should have expectations because, in reality, we don’t know our level or that of our rivals. We must be ready to push development very hard in the first months. We need a solid engineering project and the ability to deliver incremental performance improvements each week. The team dynamics are positive, and there is a strong desire for continuous improvement,” Fred Vasseur explained.
A message to the Tifosi
Before concluding, Ferrari’s Team Principal sent a message to the fans. “I also want to thank the fans. Last year was tough for them as well, but their support has always been incredible. The other day, for example, they were all outside despite the rain. You cannot imagine how much positive energy this gives us. We can never thank them enough. Thank you very much for your support.” – the French manager concluded.
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