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 1 campaign, especially as Lewis Hamilton fights to remain in contention for the championship. After a remarkably consistent opening eleven races, Hamilton still harbours realistic hopes of securing a record‑breaking eighth drivers' title, despite trailing Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 50 points at the top of the standings. While a 50‑point deficit is certainly surmountable, the reality on the track has been that Antonelli’s Mercedes has generally exhibited a modest performance advantage over Hamilton’s Ferrari. Consequently, the Italian outfit will need to extract additional performance if the 41‑year‑old seven‑time champion is to keep his title bid alive.
Ferrari is also still in the hunt for the constructors' crown; although Mercedes enjoys a 72‑point cushion, the gap is not insurmountable given the early‑season dominance displayed by the German team. Speaking after the final race before the summer hiatus in Hungary, Vasseur reflected on the season’s first half, noting that “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 highlighted that the Hungarian Grand Prix had been a turning point, with both Ferrari and Hamilton making several mistakes that resulted in Hamilton finishing only fifth despite having a car capable of podium‑level speed. When asked where the team must focus its efforts, Vasseur answered succinctly: “If I draw a conclusion based on Hungary, I would say execution.” He added that execution had actually been a relative strength for Ferrari early in the year, but that there remained clear room for improvement, particularly on the power‑unit side. “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, underscoring the greater challenge of extracting performance from the power unit compared with the car’s aerodynamic and mechanical components. Rival teams, notably McLaren, have suggested that Ferrari already possesses the strongest chassis on the grid, but that the team’s overall pace is being hampered by a less competitive power unit. This view was echoed by McLaren’s Lando Norris after the Hungarian race, who pointed out that while Ferrari’s chassis appears to be a benchmark, the engine’s relative lack of power is holding the team back.
Ferrari has already been permitted by the FIA to introduce an engine upgrade under the sport’s performance‑balancing regulations, but it remains uncertain how much further the power unit can be refined for the remainder of the season. Vasseur emphasized that, despite acknowledging the need for engine improvements, the team cannot neglect chassis development. “The most important thing will be to be able to keep the pace in the development,” he said.
He contrasted Ferrari’s philosophy with that of McLaren, noting that while McLaren tends to introduce large, comprehensive packages that deliver a big step forward, Ferrari prefers a more incremental approach, delivering new parts at each race weekend. “We have a different approach, trying to bring parts every race. 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.” Looking ahead, the championship will resume after the summer break with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from 21 to 23 August.
All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract. The Dutch round will provide Ferrari with an early test of their post‑break upgrades, both on the engine and the chassis, and will be a crucial opportunity to gauge whether the team’s development cadence can close the gap to Mercedes and keep Hamilton’s title hopes alive.
In summary, Vasseur’s message to the paddock and the fans is clear: Ferrari must sharpen its execution, accelerate engine development, and maintain a relentless pace of chassis upgrades. By doing so, the Scuderia hopes to convert its strong start to the season into a sustained challenge for both the drivers' and constructors' championships, despite the formidable competition from Mercedes and the ever‑present threat of rivals such as McLaren.
The next twelve races will be decisive, and the team’s ability to adapt and improve will determine whether they can reclaim the top spot on the podium and keep the championship battle alive for Hamilton and the rest of the field.