At Jeddah, Ferrari celebrates its first podium of the season with Charles Leclerc. In the hands of the Monegasque driver, the SF-25 shows a race pace in line with the front-runners, if not even better, but still pays the price for the difficulties suffered in qualifying. Fred Vasseur sets the course, urging the team to focus on Saturday performance to start further ahead on Sunday. The Team Principal also looks ahead to next year, commenting on the latest proposed changes to the 2026 regulations.
Focus on qualifying
“I think that in the last 35-40 laps of the race we were faster than Piastri and Verstappen,” reflects Fred Vasseur in the usual post-race press conference. “We struggled more in qualifying and we need to focus on that. When you start fourth you’re in dirty air, and in the first 5-6 laps you already lose a couple of seconds. We need to pay attention to being more consistent throughout the weekend. I think we can look at this weekend positively, because compared to the previous one we made a step forward in race pace. The rhythm was very good and I think the potential is there, we just need to do a better job.”
Immediately after the race, Charles Leclerc expressed hope that the upcoming innovations in Maranello could help Ferrari close the gap to the front, but the Team Principal has a different view on the work to be done: “It’s not a matter of upgrades. When we are faster than Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri for 40 laps but are four tenths behind in qualifying, it means we need to work on ourselves and do a better job to start ahead. When you manage that, the race is different and in the first 5-6 laps you gain 6 or 7 seconds instead of losing them. For us today it would have been a completely different story. The potential is there, but on Saturday we didn’t put everything together.”
Balance is key
The French manager also renews his support for Lewis Hamilton, coming off another difficult weekend: “I will support him and starting tomorrow morning we’ll try to find some solutions. I’m not worried. If you look at what he did in China, in the Bahrain race last week or in the first part of the second stint here, the potential is definitely there.” The Frenchman is clear about what to analyze: “We need to work on the balance. Both Lewis and we are studying the balance of his car, which is causing the tires to work in a bad range. But I believe the potential is there and we’ll try to fix the problem.”
“As soon as the balance isn’t right, it’s like a chain reaction. It’s not that you lose a tenth in a corner because you made a mistake, but you lose one and then another in the next one. That’s why we have such big gaps between the cars [of the same team, editor’s note].” For a few races now, Ferrari has shown important progress in terms of balance, but the performance picture remains unchanged: “I think McLaren is still a step ahead. Even when they make mistakes, they still manage to stay in the top 3. Behind them, though, it’s a constant mix of ups and downs.”
Evolving regulations
Meanwhile, discussions continue behind the scenes on the 2026 regulations. The latest idea proposes reducing the electric power output in races from 350 to 200 kW. “The proposal came in yesterday and I haven’t had time yet to talk about it with the engine department,” comments Fred Vasseur. “We need to keep an open mind about it, though, because it’s the first time we have such a major regulatory change covering the engine, aerodynamics, and sporting aspects. At the meeting on Thursday we’ll have to review everything. Let’s talk about it, I’m open to it, but we need to stay focused on what’s best for the future of Formula 1, not on who will gain a small advantage from 250 or 265 kW.”
“In 5 years we’ve completely changed the engine regulation, bringing electric power to 50%. We underestimated the consequences on weight and car performance, so we had to modify the aerodynamics, thinking for example about low-drag modes. But then there are the sporting regulations, which dictate how the engine power is delivered. We need to stay open and avoid arguments – that would be the worst scenario for Formula 1.”
“We’ve never had such a major revolution in the last 25-30 years, changing the engine, chassis and sporting regulation all at once. It’s a challenge for the teams and for the FIA. For the Federation, it’s also hard to predict today what the levels of aerodynamic load will be when development starts. Let’s talk about it, but I think the meeting in Bahrain went quite well, because we had an open discussion. The problem is that we’re in a competition and that doesn’t help the system. I hope we can find a good compromise,” Fred Vasseur concludes after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
