The rivals change, the Red chases
It must not be an easy condition to always be there, constantly fighting for the positions that matter, but always ending up (at least so far) beaten by this or that rival. This is the first snippet of the 2026 season for Ferrari and Fred Vasseur who, however, does not lose hope and indeed – even considering the not exactly impeccable form of poleman Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the lights out – aims to take advantage of the always good starts of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to fight also for the victory.
Read more Leclerc disheartened: “In Q3 the others have a different gear, it’s always the same story”
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur speaks
“Goal to win? Well of course, it is always possible to win when you start from the second row – explains the Scuderia Ferrari team principal, speaking live on Sky – and it is true that from the start of the season we have always done a little better in the race compared to qualifying. I have the feeling that we are improving step by step, that we are a bit at the beginning of something. But it is true that the road is still long, not to mention that what will happen in the race will also be dictated by the weather. Does Ferrari start better than Mercedes? So far it has been like that, but it does not mean that, since we were better until yesterday, we will be so tomorrow as well”.
The weak point, especially in a weekend like Miami where all the Mercedes-powered cars debuted a fresh power unit, seems to be more in terms of engine thrust. While waiting for the Federation’s ruling on the ADUO, Fred Vasseur does not commit: “How many horsepower are we missing? You should ask the FIA that. And anyway, it is not only a matter of horsepower but also of power delivery. Sometimes it is also a strategy of how you decide to deliver power, whether you want to do it along the whole straight or also in other points. Talking with Toto, I believe that even Mercedes changed their choice between yesterday and today. We are all in a process of understanding, it is not simple”.
Read more Antonelli and Ferrari overtake McLaren, but watch out for the rain in the race
“I have to focus on development to push everyone in the company to bring updates on the chassis – he adds – as we have done in this world championship, and that is what we will do as soon as possible also on the engine. It is true that now there is the opportunity of the ADUO. We have to wait for the FIA ranking or whatever it is, and then we will understand if we can develop the power unit or not. Every little hundredth will make the difference in the end. There will be a convergence in performance as always and we will have to look for that extra tenth”.
In memory of Alex Zanardi
The final note is for Alex Zanardi, who passed away during the night between May 1 and 2: “I remember perfectly, when I started in this environment, what Alex was doing. For me he was a great champion of Formula 1, endurance, CART in the USA. He was a great superstar, but even more than that I will keep in mind his tenacity and the fact that he was always positive and never gave up”, concluded Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur.
Read more Official: Miami GP start moved up to 7 PM Italian time
