Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has outlined the specific aspects he believes the Scuderia must sharpen during the latter half of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, especially as Lewis Hamilton fights to remain in the championship contention. After a remarkably steady opening stretch of eleven races, Hamilton appears poised to chase a historic eighth drivers' title, currently trailing Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 50 points at the summit of the standings.
Although that margin is sizable, it is not insurmountable, and the performance differential that Antonelli’s Mercedes has displayed over Hamilton’s Ferrari suggests the Italian outfit must extract additional performance if the 41‑year‑old champion is to keep his title hopes alive. Ferrari is also still a contender for the constructors' championship, with Mercedes holding a 72‑point advantage despite the German team’s early‑season dominance. Vasseur reflected on the season’s first half, noting, "The first half of the season was in stages. Until Spain, Mercedes was flying.
After Spain, when we came back, we scored more points than Mercedes in the last four or five races." He made these comments after the final pre‑summer‑break round in Hungary, a race in which both Ferrari and Hamilton suffered a string of mistakes that relegated the driver to fifth place despite the car’s evident speed, which should have been sufficient for a podium finish. When asked where the team needs to improve, Vasseur replied, "If I draw a conclusion based on Hungary, I would say execution.
But execution so far was probably a good one for us from the beginning of the season." He then turned to the technical side, stating, "We know that 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." This comment underscores the consensus among rivals, including McLaren’s Lando Norris, that Ferrari possesses the strongest chassis on the grid but is hampered by a power unit that lacks the outright punch of its competitors. Ferrari has already benefitted from an engine upgrade permitted under the FIA’s performance‑balancing regulations, yet Vasseur cautioned that the scope for further gains remains uncertain. He emphasized that while the power unit is a priority, the team cannot neglect the chassis development programme.
"The most important thing will be to be able to keep the pace in the 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." Vasseur’s strategy hinges on a steady flow of incremental upgrades rather than occasional large‑scale overhauls. He believes that maintaining this rhythm is essential with twelve races still to run after the summer hiatus.
"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," he added. Looking ahead, the championship will resume with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21‑23, with all sessions broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The upcoming races will test Ferrari’s ability to translate Vasseur’s outlined priorities into tangible on‑track performance. If the team can close the power‑unit gap while sustaining a rapid development cadence for the chassis, they could narrow the points deficit to both Mercedes and Hamilton, keeping their championship aspirations alive.
Conversely, any lapse in execution or failure to deliver the promised upgrades could see the Scuderia fall further behind, allowing rivals to cement their advantage. In summary, Vasseur has identified execution, engine performance, and a relentless development schedule as the three pillars that will define Ferrari’s second‑half campaign.
By focusing on these areas, the Italian team hopes to revive its challenge for both the drivers' and constructors' titles as the season heads into its decisive final stretch.