Frédéric Vasseur has apologised to Ferrari’s tifosi after the Scuderia endured an Italian Grand Prix that went even worse than its most pessimistic expectations, while immediately turning his attention towards a potential response in Madrid. The Ferrari team principal also expressed his happiness for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, whose comeback victory electrified the huge Monza crowd on an otherwise bitter Sunday for the Maranello team.
Ferrari had arrived at its home Grand Prix surrounded by enormous expectation and supported by the traditional sea of red in the grandstands. Instead, the 2026 Italian Grand Prix weekend became one of the team’s most disappointing events of the season.
Ferrari’s Monza disappointment leaves tifosi relying on Antonelli celebration
The Scuderia was unable to produce the performance required to fight at the front, despite introducing its latest ADUO-2 power unit development for Monza. Ferrari was overwhelmed by the strength of rival power units, while the internal battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc added another layer of frustration to a weekend that had already fallen far short of expectations.
For the Italian crowd, however, Antonelli’s charge to victory provided a very different reason to celebrate. The Mercedes driver completed his comeback to win the Italian Grand Prix and energised the tifosi, turning Monza into a celebration of Italian success even though Ferrari itself had failed to deliver the result its supporters wanted.
The reaction also gave another answer to the question of how the Monza tifosi would respond to Kimi Antonelli while remaining overwhelmingly loyal to Ferrari.
Frédéric Vasseur apologises to Ferrari fans after Monza
After the race, Frédéric Vasseur acknowledged the disappointment suffered by the Ferrari supporters who had brought extraordinary energy to the circuit throughout the weekend. At the same time, the Frenchman made clear that he was genuinely pleased to see Antonelli enjoy such an important moment in his career.
“Of course, we are sorry that we weren’t able to give our fans the result we wanted, after the incredible energy and support they showed us throughout the weekend,” Frédéric Vasseur said. “I’m very happy for Kimi [Antonelli]: it’s a very important moment for him and he deserves it.”
Ferrari immediately shifts focus from Monza to Madrid
There will be little time for Ferrari to dwell on its home-race disappointment. Formula 1 now moves directly to Madrid, where the Scuderia will attempt to respond immediately on a completely different circuit.
Vasseur confirmed that the team had already begun turning its attention towards the next challenge rather than continuing to focus on what had gone wrong at Monza.
“Now we immediately shift our focus to next weekend and the new circuit in Madrid,” the Ferrari team principal added.
The change of venue gives Ferrari an early opportunity to reset after the disappointment of the Italian Grand Prix. The new Madring circuit in Madrid presents a very different technical challenge from Monza, meaning the next weekend will offer the Maranello team a fresh chance to show whether it can recover from one of its most difficult home performances.
For Vasseur, the objective is now straightforward: leave the Monza disappointment behind as quickly as possible and ensure Ferrari produces a stronger response in Madrid, while the tifosi who endured a frustrating Sunday at least had Antonelli’s historic home victory to celebrate.
Leave a Reply