Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur is breathing easier after the podium finish at the F1 Spanish GP. Charles Leclerc’s P3 in Barcelona marked his back-to-back podium finishes after the P2 in Monaco.
The two results have bolstered Ferrari into second in the constructors’ standings, six points ahead of Mercedes in third. Vasseur, too, recognizes the importance of the recent success and how it reflects on the team’s better understanding of the tyres in qualifying after both cars got knocked out in Q2 at Imola.
However, he realises that the team needs to keep its feet on the ground. Working hard and continuing to understand how to get the best out of brand new tyres in qualifying is key due to the very close field on a Saturday in 2025.
“If you consider Monaco and Spain, I would say yes [progress has been made].
“But with the tyres, you have to be humble and start each weekend from scratch. It’s not because we need a step on the tyre approach, management and so, the last two or three races that we will be in very good shape in Canada.
“We have to continue to try to do a better job and to be dedicated to focus on this because it’s key, clearly, for the performance today.”
Vasseur once again emphasised the importance of tyre management, especially for teams like Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull. That, he believes, will come in handy for the upcoming Canadian GP, where the tarmac is different, and the track temperatures are colder.
“Perhaps not with McLaren because they are still at the top. [But] between Mercedes, Red Bull and us, I think tyre management is key. In qualifying and in the race,” Vasseur said after the Spanish GP. “I think that for sure we will put a lot of focus on this. And you have to build up your weekend for this with the tyre choice for FP1, FP2, FP3.
“Canada, it’s a different story. We will see it’s a different tarmac, much colder, but not the same corner also. I think that we have to be humble and not to imagine that what we learned or understood in Barcelona will be completely true in the next time.”
Leclerc’s recent results are surely welcomed at Ferrari. However, Lewis Hamilton has been raising alarms about the drop in performance he is facing lately. After his P5 finish in Monaco, the seven-time champion had a disappointing P6 at the Spanish GP.
Ferrari boss Vasseur counters Hamilton’s F1 Spanish GP “disaster” remark
The qualifying session of the Spanish GP was a bittersweet one for Hamilton. While he took away a positive from beating his teammate, the P5 finish was nothing to be proud of.
Leclerc, who finished P7, was almost a tenth of a second slower than Hamilton. That was, however, a result of a gamble that the Monegasque played. Leclerc never went out for a second run in Q3 to save a set of soft tires for the race.
The gamble paid off as Hamilton’s pace kept dropping as the race progressed. Leclerc, meanwhile, kept on gaining on his teammate, ultimately leading to the team orders dictating the Briton to let the Monegasque pass.
Subsequently, Hamilton only managed to accumulate eight points and dubbed his race a “disaster” while speaking after the F1 Spanish GP. Vasseur later dispelled the claim.
“I think [Hamilton] did 70% of the race in front of [George] Russell. I’m not sure that Russell said that the race was a disaster, but then we had an issue on the car in the last [stint], before the Safety Car, and the result is not good, but he did 45 laps in front of Russell.”
Hamilton is increasingly growing impatient with each poor result. As the team continues to find pace with Leclerc, Vasseur has to be careful to make sure the team’s marquee driver does not feel left out.
