Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur has outlined the specific areas where he believes the Scuderia must make progress during the second half of the 2026 Formula One season, especially as Lewis Hamilton strives to remain in the hunt for the drivers' crown. After a remarkably steady opening stretch of eleven races, Hamilton finds himself within striking distance of a historic eighth world title, trailing the Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by 50 points at the top of the championship table.
Although that margin is sizeable, it is not insurmountable, and the performance gap that Mercedes appears to enjoy over Hamilton's Ferrari suggests that the Italian outfit must extract every ounce of improvement if the 41‑year‑old champion is to keep his title bid alive. Ferrari are also still in contention for the constructors' championship, with Mercedes holding a 72‑point advantage despite dominating the early part of the season. Vasseur reflected on the first half of the year, noting that the campaign unfolded in distinct phases. "Until the Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes were simply flying," he said.
"After Spain, when we returned, we managed to out‑score Mercedes over the last four or five races." Speaking after the final race before the summer hiatus in Hungary, Vasseur admitted that both Ferrari and Hamilton had suffered a series of mistakes that relegated the British driver to a fifth‑place finish, even though the car possessed the speed to contend for podium positions. "Where do we have to improve?
If I draw a conclusion based on Hungary, I would say execution," Vasseur continued. "But execution so far has probably been good for us from the start of the season." The team principal highlighted two main pillars for development: the power unit and the chassis.
"We know we have to improve on the engine side and we will do it. The inertia on the engine is much higher than on the chassis," he explained, pointing out that the engine's characteristics have a larger impact on overall performance than the car's structural elements. Rival teams, including McLaren, have suggested that Ferrari already possess the best chassis on the grid, but that the power unit's relative weakness is holding the team back. Ferrari have already been granted a one‑off engine upgrade under the FIA's performance‑balancing regulations, but the extent to which further gains can be extracted from the power unit remains uncertain.
Vasseur acknowledged that there is still headroom for improvement, yet he emphasized that the Scuderia must continue to push forward with chassis upgrades as well. "The most important thing will be to be able to keep the pace in development," he said. "McLaren did a good job for a while, but they don't have exactly the same philosophy as us because they are bringing a big package.
For sure each time they bring something, they are making a huge step. We have a different approach, trying to bring parts every race." He added that maintaining momentum is crucial, noting that twelve races remain on the calendar after the break.
"We have to keep this momentum because there are still 12 races to go. It's a lot. We have room for improvement on the chassis everywhere, and we have to keep this pace," Vasseur asserted. Looking ahead, the season will pick up again with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21‑23.
All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract. The upcoming races will test Ferrari's ability to translate their development strategy into on‑track results, as they aim to close the gap to Mercedes in both the drivers' and constructors' standings. If Vasseur's focus on engine refinement and relentless chassis iteration pays off, the Scuderia could re‑establish itself as a genuine title contender for the remainder of the 2026 campaign.