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 the championship contention. 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 the Italian outfit faces. Hamilton’s opening eleven races have been remarkably consistent, keeping his hopes alive for a possible record‑breaking eighth drivers’ title.
After Hungary, the seven‑time champion sits 50 points behind Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who currently leads the drivers’ standings. Although a 50‑point deficit is sizable, it is not impossible to overcome, particularly if Ferrari can extract more performance from its car.
Mercedes appears to enjoy a modest but tangible power advantage over Ferrari, a factor that could prove decisive if Hamilton is to stay in the fight for the crown. The Italian team also remains in the Constructors’ Championship hunt, trailing the dominant Mercedes by 72 points despite the German squad’s early‑season superiority.
Vasseur highlighted that the first half of the year unfolded in distinct phases. "Up to the Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes were simply flying," he said. "After Spain, when we returned, we managed to out‑score them over the last four or five races." The Frenchman was speaking after a chaotic Hungarian round in which both Ferrari and Hamilton made several mistakes, ultimately leaving the British driver in fifth place even though his car possessed the speed to challenge for a podium.
When asked where the team needs to improve, Vasseur answered succinctly: "If I draw a conclusion from Hungary, I would say execution." He added that execution had actually been one of Ferrari’s stronger points earlier in the season, but that there remained work to be done on the power unit. "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," Vasseur explained, indicating that the power unit’s characteristics have a larger impact on lap times than the car’s mechanical layout. Rival teams, including McLaren, have suggested that Ferrari already possesses the best chassis on the grid, but that its performance is being throttled by a comparatively weaker engine. Ferrari has already benefited from a one‑off engine upgrade permitted under the FIA’s performance‑balancing regulations, yet the team’s engineers acknowledge that further gains may be limited by the current architecture of the power unit.
Despite this, Vasseur stressed that development must continue on both fronts. "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 the British team tends to introduce large, game‑changing packages, 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 twelve races to go. It's a lot.
We have room for improvement on the chassis everywhere, and we have to keep this pace," Vasseur concluded. Looking ahead, the championship will resume after the summer break with a sprint format weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled for 21‑23 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 offer Ferrari an early test of any upgrades introduced during the hiatus, and it will be a crucial indicator of whether the team can close the gap to Mercedes on both power and handling.
In summary, Vasseur’s message to the paddock is clear: Ferrari must sharpen its execution, extract every ounce of performance from its power unit, and maintain a relentless development rhythm on the chassis. If the Scuderia can achieve these objectives, it will keep both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles within reach, even as Hamilton and Antonelli continue to push hard for the top step of the podium.