Ferrari, Vasseur: “Our goal is to catch Mercedes. We are working on every area”
Yesterday, Frédéric Vasseur was clear: the priority is to score as many points as possible while preparing to use the upcoming one-month break to develop the car ahead of May and the Miami Grand Prix.
It was a very clear message, as it is evident that all teams will push hard over the next five weeks on car development to arrive fully prepared in Florida. In the end, Ferrari executed the wishes of its team principal quite effectively.
Charles Leclerc delivered a crucial podium for Ferrari thanks to an excellent second half of the race. Launching attacks first on Lewis Hamilton and then defending brilliantly against George Russell, the Monegasque driver finished behind Antonelli and Oscar Piastri, earning vital points for the Constructors’ Championship.
After yesterday’s statements, Ferrari’s team principal wanted to reiterate a concept that was already clear but must remain in the minds of all Formula 1 fans over the next month: every team will develop their cars, and Ferrari will push hard to be ready for Miami.
“We must be clear. Yesterday there were several misunderstandings about the phrase ‘a new championship will start in Miami.’ Everyone will bring updates to Miami; they will have time to work on their software, which is why I said a new championship will begin. We will not be the only ones working between Japan and Miami, so we need to be aware of that. It is true, however, that we have a month of time, and this is not common in Formula 1. Every team on the grid is pushing like crazy to improve, and there will be progress for everyone, and we will see what the situation will be. I wanted to be clear,” Fred Vasseur told Sky Sport F1 at the end of the Japanese Grand Prix.
“Performance comes from everything. We must work on every area during this month. We have weaknesses on the straights, but we know we will have to wait for the ADUO in this regard. However, we will need to work on everything: aerodynamics, engine, tires, setup—every aspect. If we focus on one component, we lose pace. I don’t want any misunderstandings: everyone will improve in Miami. But we will also be working in that direction. Last year, we had performance fluctuations between sessions, and these issues are still on our table. We have potential to exploit, and we must work on it. We need to focus on development because there is a lot of room for improvement compared to 2025.”
While Charles Leclerc finished the race strongly, Lewis Hamilton had started it excellently, also benefiting from the Safety Car intervention after Oliver Bearman’s incident. Lewis requested to stay on track longer because his Medium tires were still in good condition, and fortunately, this paid off. At that point, Lewis found himself in third, but was later overtaken first by Charles Leclerc and then by George Russell and Lando Norris. Fred Vasseur explained this regression as part of the natural race developments.
“Lewis complained more about the tires, and I think it was also due to the effect of overtake mode. Once you lose more than a second to the car ahead, you lose the benefit of the car in front, and that happened with Lewis. He was battling with Lando Norris, and when he lost contact with the car ahead, he lost that advantage,” explained the situation after the race.
The current regulations continue to face harsh criticism from both industry insiders—including the drivers themselves—and passionate fans. Anyone browsing social media has seen widespread dissatisfaction. Yet, while qualifying sessions have revealed points that clearly need to be reviewed, the races themselves have still offered plenty of interesting insights.
“I think what we are looking for is for the show to be exciting, with plenty of battles. We have seen Charles Leclerc against George Russell, Lando Norris against Lewis Hamilton. The racing has been good, with lots of overtakes without contact. And that is really a very positive signal,” the Ferrari team boss said following the Japanese Grand Prix.
After the first three races of the 2026 season, Ferrari has had to take note of a two-faced gap to Mercedes. In qualifying, the SF-26 cars are between half a second and seven-tenths slower than the W17, while in races this gap narrows. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur offered an interpretation of the situation, highlighting the role of overtake mode in explaining the differences.
“I think this has been a trend since the start of the season. In qualifying, they have a margin of five to seven-tenths, while in the race it is clear that this advantage is smaller. I believe this is also due to overtake mode, because when you are in a group you have a slipstream to exploit and you can stay with them. But this also means we will need to make a step forward to reach them and get ahead. That is what we are working for,” Fred Vasseur concluded.
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