Fred Vasseur jokes: “Even when Mercedes slows down, it’s still faster than us”
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur chose humor over controversy after George Russell secured a dramatic pole position for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.
Fred Vasseur laughs off Ferrari’s lost pole
When Max Verstappen crashed into the barriers in the closing moments of Q3 at the Red Bull Ring, Ferrari appeared to be on course for a front-row lockout. Charles Leclerc was provisionally on pole, with Lewis Hamilton second, while most drivers immediately abandoned their final flying laps after seeing the yellow flags.
George Russell, however, had already built a significant advantage through the second sector. After lifting off enough to comply with the yellow flag regulations, the Mercedes driver still managed to complete a lap that secured pole position by 0.236 seconds over Charles Leclerc.
The incident was reviewed by the stewards, who examined the telemetry data before deciding that no further action was required, officially confirming Russell’s pole position. Rather than fuelling further debate, Fred Vasseur made it clear that Ferrari’s focus is already on Sunday’s race and on making the most of its strong starting positions.
Speaking to F1 TV, the Ferrari team principal responded with his trademark sense of humor when asked about Mercedes’ apparent straight-line speed advantage despite Ferrari’s latest power unit upgrades. When the interviewer remarked, “It still looks like you’re missing some top speed compared to Mercedes,” Vasseur smiled before delivering a sarcastic one-liner that quickly drew laughter from everyone nearby.
“Still? Hahaha! Even when they slow down, they’re faster than us!”
Ferrari chooses to focus on the positives
Beyond the joke, Vasseur stressed that Ferrari has every reason to be encouraged after qualifying second and third, especially considering how difficult Friday had been for the Scuderia.
“Let’s focus on the positive side. We’re second and third on the grid and fighting Mercedes in qualifying. Tomorrow we want to have a strong race pace. There are still 15 races left this season, and what matters most is performance.”
Although the yellow flag controversy continues to generate discussion, the Frenchman made it clear that Ferrari does not intend to become distracted by it: “We could debate for a long time whether it was the right decision not to display double yellow flags, but we have to trust the Race Control system.”
Eyes firmly on race day
Looking ahead to Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, Vasseur warned against making assumptions based on Ferrari’s recent success in tyre management.
“Every day tells a different story. Just because we managed the tyres well two weeks ago doesn’t mean the same thing will happen tomorrow. We need clean air, we have to look after the car and the tyres, and avoid focusing on the lottery or anything else. We did that in the last race, and we’ll try to do it again tomorrow.”
With Charles Leclerc starting second and Lewis Hamilton third, Ferrari remains firmly in the fight as it aims to build on its victory in Barcelona and challenge Mercedes once again at the Red Bull Ring.
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