Ferrari team principal Frederic 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 fights to stay in contention for the championship. Vasseur’s comments came after the Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before the summer hiatus, and they provide a clear picture of the challenges facing the Italian outfit.
Hamilton has enjoyed an exceptionally steady start to the year, posting strong results in the opening eleven rounds that keep his hopes of securing a record‑breaking eighth drivers' title alive. He currently trails Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 50 points, a gap that, while significant, is not insurmountable. The gap is largely a reflection of the fact that Antonelli’s Mercedes appears to have a modest but consistent performance advantage over Hamilton’s Ferrari.
For the 41‑year‑old champion to remain a genuine threat, the Scuderia will need to extract additional performance from both car and power unit. The battle for the constructors' championship is equally tight. Mercedes sits 72 points ahead of Ferrari despite dominating the early portion of the season, meaning the Italian team still has a realistic shot at the title if they can close the deficit in the remaining races. Vasseur summed up the first half of the year as a series of 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." This assessment underscores the incremental progress Ferrari has made, but also highlights the need for a more sustained push. When pressed about the specific improvements required, Vasseur pointed to execution as the primary issue emerging from the Hungarian Grand Prix.
"If I draw a conclusion based on Hungary, I would say execution," he said, adding that the team’s execution had actually been solid for most of the season. The nuance in his statement suggests that while the team has generally performed well in terms of race strategy and pit‑stop efficiency, there were isolated mistakes in Hungary that cost valuable points. The most critical technical challenge, according to Vasseur, lies with the power unit.
"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," he explained.
This comment reflects the broader consensus among rivals that Ferrari’s chassis is arguably the strongest on the grid, but the power unit’s output does not match that level. McLaren driver Lando Norris, who finished on the podium in Hungary, has publicly suggested that Ferrari’s chassis is the best in the field, yet the team is being held back by a comparatively weaker engine. Ferrari has already taken advantage of a one‑off engine upgrade granted by the FIA’s performance‑balancing regulations, but the extent to which further gains can be extracted remains uncertain. Vasseur acknowledges that there is still room for improvement, but he also stresses that the team cannot neglect chassis development.
"The most important thing will be to be able to keep the pace in the development," he said, emphasizing a dual focus on both power unit and aerodynamic upgrades. He contrasted Ferrari’s development philosophy with that of McLaren, noting that the British team tends to introduce large, comprehensive packages at once, whereas Ferrari prefers a more incremental approach, delivering new parts each race. "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 explained. This strategy aims to maintain a steady flow of performance gains, keeping the car competitive throughout the season. Looking ahead, Vasseur highlighted the importance of momentum.
With twelve races remaining after the summer break, there is ample opportunity to close the gap to Mercedes. "We have to keep this momentum because there are still 12 races to go. It's a lot. We have a room for improvement on the chassis everywhere, and we have to keep this pace," he said.
The upcoming Sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled for August 21‑23, will be the first test of Ferrari’s post‑break upgrades. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract. In summary, Vasseur’s message to the team is clear: sharpen execution, extract every ounce of power from the engine, and maintain a relentless development rhythm on the chassis.
If Ferrari can deliver on these fronts, they will not only keep Hamilton in the drivers' title hunt but also preserve a credible challenge for the constructors' crown as the season enters its decisive second half.