Frédéric Vasseur has admitted that the lack of calm surrounding Ferrari is not helping the team, expressing disappointment over reports published in recent days about possible personnel changes. The Ferrari team principal spoke candidly after Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying in Baku, where Charles Leclerc secured second place but Lewis Hamilton could manage only sixth.
Ferrari was effectively fighting for second place in qualifying, with George Russell and Mercedes operating on another level. Charles Leclerc nevertheless extracted the maximum from the SF-26 and claimed a front-row start by beating Oscar Piastri by just one thousandth of a second, although the gap of more than eight tenths to pole underlined the scale of Mercedes’ advantage. The complete picture is available in the full Azerbaijan GP qualifying report.
Frédéric Vasseur explains Ferrari’s different Baku qualifying approach
Speaking to Sky Sport F1 after the session, Frédéric Vasseur highlighted how changing conditions had complicated qualifying for all of the leading teams. Lower temperatures compared with the previous day, combined with Baku’s low-grip surface and persistent wind, pushed teams towards different approaches in the decisive phase.
“It was a complicated session for everyone, but compared to yesterday the temperature dropped a lot and the top three all used a different strategy,” Frédéric Vasseur explained. “It doesn’t happen very often that there are three different strategies among the top three teams. We and Mercedes did two attempts in a row, McLaren did one plus one. But that’s how it went.”
The Ferrari team principal added: “Certainly, with the characteristics of this track, the low grip, the wind and the lower temperature, we knew everything would be more on the limit, but others chose differently from us.”
Despite the difficulties, Charles Leclerc emerged as the closest challenger to George Russell. His second-place result came despite an SF-26 that had remained difficult to predict throughout the weekend, something the Monegasque also discussed when explaining Ferrari’s eight-tenth qualifying deficit.
Vasseur refuses to concede Azerbaijan GP to Mercedes
George Russell appeared to be in a different league during qualifying, and the obvious concern for Ferrari is whether Mercedes will carry the same advantage into the Grand Prix. Frédéric Vasseur, however, made clear that the Scuderia has no intention of conceding defeat before the race begins.
“If we look at this qualifying, Mercedes certainly seems too strong,” Frédéric Vasseur said. “But we will definitely fight and push until the end, and the race is always a little different. It’s true that since FP1 George Russell has looked unbeatable this weekend, with incredible pace. But the race is another story. The same conditions could occur, of course, but we will give it everything.”
The huge qualifying margin was unusual compared with the much smaller differences that often separate the leading teams. Readers can examine the session’s detailed performance through the F1 Qualifying Pace & Sector Comparison.
Lewis Hamilton lost time after Q3 wall contact and missing slipstream
While Charles Leclerc emerged as the best of the rest behind George Russell, Lewis Hamilton endured a more difficult session. Frédéric Vasseur revealed that contact with the wall on the opening Q3 lap created problems for the seven-time world champion, while Ferrari’s track positioning then left Lewis Hamilton without a slipstream at the most important moment.
It is an area the Scuderia will need to review, particularly at Baku where a tow can make a meaningful difference along the circuit’s long straight. Lewis Hamilton had already expressed frustration with how Ferrari managed his final qualifying phase, as detailed in his explanation of the Q3 strategy change that preceded his sixth-place result.
“Lewis had contact with the wall on the first lap of Q3 and that forced him to chase,” Frédéric Vasseur explained. “In addition, all the drivers were in a different sequence, with Lewis finding himself alone and without any slipstream. That cost him one or two tenths and he probably would have recovered one position.”
Looking ahead to the race, Frédéric Vasseur expects overtaking to be difficult because of Baku’s low tyre degradation. “Tomorrow the race will be long, and we will need strong and consistent pace. We know that degradation is very low in Baku and I think this year it will be even lower. I think overtaking will be difficult tomorrow, but we’ll see.”
Fred Vasseur admits recent Ferrari reports have hurt team calm
Asked how difficult it is to occupy the Ferrari team principal role, Frédéric Vasseur did not attempt to disguise the pressure involved. He also addressed reports concerning the team that had appeared over the previous week, arguing that the resulting lack of calm does little to help an organisation already competing in an exceptionally tight Formula 1 environment.
“It’s difficult to work at Ferrari, but it’s difficult for all the members of the team as well,” Frédéric Vasseur said. “Last week we had to read that somebody was going to be fired. I think F1 is an enormous challenge. There are four teams fighting within hundredths. Today George Russell made the difference, but usually we are fighting within hundredths.”
Frédéric Vasseur concluded by acknowledging the effect that such an atmosphere can have while insisting that Ferrari must remain focused on its work. “Certainly, the lack of calm doesn’t help the team, but things are what they are and we simply have to keep working.”
Ferrari therefore leaves Baku qualifying with two contrasting realities. Charles Leclerc has secured a valuable front-row start and an opportunity to fight near the front, while the eight-tenth gap to Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton’s more complicated Q3 underline how much work remains. For Frédéric Vasseur, that work must continue both on the track and within an environment he believes would benefit from greater calm.
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