Fred Vasseur believes Ferrari’s true potential at Spa-Francorchamps will only become clear on Saturday after a Friday of contrasting fortunes. The SF-26 looked encouraging during FP1 but faced a more complicated afternoon, leaving the team with substantial work to complete on energy deployment before Belgian Grand Prix qualifying.
Friday did not provide definitive answers, but it offered clues suggesting this weekend may be more difficult for Ferrari than the previous round. Fred Vasseur’s message remained consistent: practice times are distorted by fuel loads and different run plans, while energy-management choices create enormous speed variations that the classification alone cannot explain.
Ferrari’s Spa Friday changes from positive to difficult
Ferrari’s day was effectively divided into two parts. The morning was promising, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finishing second and third, while FP2 produced a much less encouraging competitive picture.
“It went reasonably well this morning and was a little more difficult this afternoon, but it is all relative,” Fred Vasseur said.
The Ferrari team principal did not attempt to draw firm conclusions from the results. Different fuel loads, simulations and work programmes make direct comparisons between teams extremely difficult during free practice.
“Fuel is hugely important in terms of competitiveness, which means we cannot compare ourselves with the others,” Fred Vasseur explained.
The contrast between Ferrari’s sessions is examined more closely in the analysis of what changed for the SF-26 between Spa FP1 and FP2.
Fred Vasseur tells Ferrari to focus on itself
Fred Vasseur has repeated the same principle for several weeks: Ferrari must concentrate on understanding and maximising its own package instead of chasing Friday reference times that may not reflect the real competitive order.
“Let us focus on ourselves, try to get the best from what we have and then we will see tomorrow afternoon,” the Frenchman said.
Spa amplifies every variable, from straight-line speed and energy deployment to setup differences and driver confidence. Ferrari must navigate that complexity without becoming distracted by headline lap times.
Lewis Hamilton acknowledged that Ferrari’s FP2 deficit was larger than anticipated, but he also described the SF-26’s general balance as reasonably positive. That gives the engineers a foundation for their overnight work.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc provide clear energy feedback
When asked about the initial feedback from Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Fred Vasseur immediately identified Ferrari’s central task.
“There is a lot to do on energy deployment,” the Ferrari team principal admitted.
Friday produced enormous speed differences between cars from one straight to another. Efficiently managing the available electrical energy—while retaining enough power to attack or defend in key parts of the circuit—is one of the defining challenges of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
“We need simulation after simulation,” Fred Vasseur said. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc supplied clear feedback, and Ferrari now faces an intensive debrief as it searches for a more effective compromise.
The challenge was already visible in the analysis of Ferrari’s hybrid deployment during FP2. Spa punishes inefficient energy use because its long straights leave little room to recover from a poorly planned deployment strategy.
Ferrari must balance qualifying pace with Sunday’s race
Ferrari’s preparations cannot focus solely on extracting one fast qualifying lap. Fred Vasseur stressed that energy management will also determine how effectively Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc can race other cars on Sunday.
“We also have to think about the race, how to attack and defend, and we will see tomorrow,” Fred Vasseur added.
His comment captures Ferrari’s position after Friday: practice provided only an initial indication, while Saturday will reveal where the team truly stands. The Belgian GP FP2 classification recorded a difficult afternoon, but Fred Vasseur believes recent race weekends have demonstrated how unrepresentative Friday’s order can be.
Ferrari nevertheless saw both strengths and weaknesses, gathered useful feedback and identified the areas requiring intervention. The real work begins with the overnight analysis and final setup decisions ahead of qualifying.
Saturday will show whether Ferrari can correct its energy deployment and extract more from the SF-26. The most important points will still be awarded on Sunday, but securing a competitive starting position will depend on how successfully the team converts Friday’s lessons into performance.
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