The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix is always a special event for Scuderia Ferrari, as confirmed by Fred Vasseur, who shared the team’s excitement and commitment during Friday’s team principals’ press conference at Imola.
“Yes, it’s always a special race. We love Monza, but this one is really different. We have team members who live in Bologna, so for some it’s the closest race. In the end, we have to do our job as always, but we know there’s an extra push. The support from the fans, the Tifosi, is something huge. It’s a strong motivation for all of us.
You can feel it this week too. From the factory, from the people outside, from those who follow us—there’s a lot of energy coming to the team. We want to take it as a positive push; it’s part of our mission. We know how much it means to the fans, and we want to make them proud.”
The atmosphere around the Ferrari garage is already electric: with team members living just a few kilometers from the circuit, and the crowd filling the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the team feels both the pressure and the warmth of an entire nation.
The potential of the Ferrari SF-25 and the challenges to overcome starting from Imola.
But Fred Vasseur cannot focus solely on the fact that it’s the home race. The Ferrari team principal also assessed the performance of the SF-25, admitting that the car has not always managed to show its full potential, especially during difficult weekends like Miami:
“Like McLaren and the others, we’re all in the same situation. Sometimes, though, we feel like we haven’t extracted the maximum from the car. We’ve had races, like in Miami, that were frustrating on several fronts. Looking back at Miami, we analyzed everything, including radio traffic. We made decisions, explained them to the drivers, and then reviewed everything to learn.”
“As for the car’s potential, we believe there’s still a lot to extract, but we need to work well on every detail. The car has some strong areas, but also some weaker ones that make it hard to maximize it in all conditions.”
A clear analysis from the team principal, who does not hide the difficulties but reaffirms the goal of capitalizing on every opportunity. At Imola, where every corner has a special meaning, Ferrari faces another chance to demonstrate its progress and once again try to unlock the full potential of a car that still remains somewhat unclear.
