Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur provided insight into Ferrari’s performance in a print media session held after the 2026 F1 British GP. This race saw Charles Leclerc claim pole and Lewis Hamilton secure a third-place finish. Vasseur maintained focus on the technical realities facing the team despite positive results.
Managing technical expectations
Vasseur acknowledged that the team entered the weekend with significant caution. The team’s engineers had previously identified a notable lack of power and straight-line speed, which typically create a disadvantage on high-speed circuits like Silverstone.
Vasseur explained that the team had far lower expectations for the 2026 F1 British GP compared to slower circuits such as Monaco, expecting Mercedes to be far too quick.
However, Vasseur noted that this realisation forced the team to adapt fast, chasing performance improvements throughout the weekend. These step-by-step improvements ultimately proved effective in gaining the necessary pace for race day.
“We still have a deficit of performance, this we know. And for sure it’s more difficult when you are going to Silverstone than when you are going to Monaco. That’s why we were not very optimistic. But in the other hand, I think it pushed us to chase the last amount of seconds everywhere, and we did a small step by small step all over the weekend to have a strong pace today.”
Vasseur on the challenges of overtaking at the 2026 F1 British GP
When asked about the closing stages of the race and the big threat from Kimi Antonelli against Charles Leclerc, Vasseur remained realistic. He avoided speculating on how the race might have finished under different circumstances and conditions. Instead, he emphasised that the team focuses on the events as they unfold.
He admitted that the gap would likely have been closed, but stressed how tough it is to actually overtake. The Team Principal noted that even with a speed advantage, a significant delta is required to successfully complete an overtake.
“For sure, he would have caught us a couple of laps before the end. You can’t redo the race with a safety car. What’s happened [is what happened]. But on the other hand, it’s not so easy to overtake. We saw when Russell came back on Verstappen. Or when Lewis came back on them. But to overtake, you need to have the delta pace. For sure, it would have been a tough one.”
Vasseur explains the pit stop decision
Vasseur also addressed the strategic decision to bring Leclerc into the pits while he held a three-second lead to Kimi Antonelli in the first stint. He clarified that this move was primarily a result of traffic management rather than immediate concerns regarding tyre degradation.
Vasseur described the decision as the most efficient choice in terms of overall race time, as Leclerc neared slower cars. This approach ensured that the team maintained control of the situation as the race concluded.
”It was the traffic management. Because at this stage we were catching cars in front of us. And it was also the overall optimum in terms of race time.”
