Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur celebrated one of the most memorable weekends of the 2026 Formula 1 season after Charles Leclerc secured the Scuderia’s 250th Grand Prix victory, while Lewis Hamilton completed a strong afternoon by finishing third. Speaking after the race, the Frenchman admitted he was particularly delighted for Charles Leclerc, insisting that the Monegasque driver had been unfairly criticized despite always enjoying the full support of the team.
Ferrari reached the historic milestone at Silverstone, exactly 75 years after José Froilán González delivered the Italian team’s first-ever Formula 1 victory at the British Grand Prix in 1951 with the Ferrari 375. It also marked Ferrari’s second win of the 2026 campaign following Lewis Hamilton’s triumph at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The result also erased the disappointment of the Austrian Grand Prix and reinforced the feeling that the SF-26 has taken another important step forward. Ferrari now appears much closer to Mercedes, a team that until recently looked almost unbeatable.
Fred Vasseur and the Maranello squad, together with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, had approached the British Grand Prix with modest expectations. Before the weekend they feared Silverstone would expose Ferrari’s weaknesses rather than allow the team to fight at the front. That is why Charles Leclerc’s victory carried even greater significance, putting an end to the speculation surrounding the driver’s supposed loss of form.
Vasseur explained:
“Yes, of course, I’m happy for myself, for the team and for Lewis. He also drove a very good race. But above all, I’m happy for Charles because, as I’ve already said, he received a lot of criticism, yet he knew the team was behind him, and we knew we could count on him to keep pushing. We have enormous confidence in Charles, and today I’m more than happy to see him standing on the top step of the podium.”
Vasseur disappointed by the late Safety Car finish
Asked whether Ferrari regretted the race ending behind the Safety Car, with Lewis Hamilton on soft tyres and potentially able to challenge George Russell for second place, Vasseur admitted the opportunity was there.
“Yes, we had the chance because we also had the soft tyres on his car. I didn’t understand why they kept the Safety Car out for one more lap. Perhaps there was still some gravel on the circuit, which had been shown on the television broadcast.”
Ferrari’s pace confirms the team’s progress
Reflecting on Ferrari’s overall performance throughout the weekend, Vasseur acknowledged that Mercedes remained extremely competitive but believed the race could have unfolded differently without Kimi Antonelli’s late problem: “We were more competitive than George Russell, but it looked like Kimi was even faster. I don’t know if he was managing his pace at the beginning, but when he came back onto the track after his pit stop he was incredibly quick, and it would have been a very tough battle for Charles until the finish. We’ll gladly take the result as it came.”
Fred Vasseur once again reiterated his support for Charles Leclerc, emphasizing that Ferrari never lost faith in its lead driver despite the criticism directed at him earlier in the season.
“Yes, of course, I’m happy for myself, for the team and for Lewis. He also drove a very good race. But above all, I’m happy for Charles because, as I’ve already said, he received a lot of criticism, yet he knew the team was behind him, and we knew we could count on him to keep pushing. We have enormous confidence in Charles, and today I’m more than happy to see him standing on the top step of the podium.”
Returning to the Safety Car discussion, Vasseur added:
“Yes, we had the chance because we also had the soft tyres on his car. I didn’t understand why they kept the Safety Car out for one more lap. Perhaps there was still some gravel on the circuit, which had been shown on the television broadcast.”
Finally, he once again highlighted Ferrari’s competitiveness over the Silverstone weekend:
“We were more competitive than George Russell, but it looked like Kimi was even faster. I don’t know if he was managing his pace at the beginning, but when he came back onto the track after his pit stop he was incredibly quick, and it would have been a very tough battle for Charles until the finish. We’ll gladly take the result as it came.”
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