Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur has laid out the key areas where the Scuderia must sharpen its performance for the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, especially as Lewis Hamilton fights to stay in contention for the championship. Hamilton’s remarkably steady start to the season – eleven races without a major slip‑up – has kept his hopes of securing a record‑breaking eighth drivers’ title alive, even though he currently trails Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 50 points at the top of the leaderboard. While a 50‑point deficit is sizable, it is not insurmountable.
The consensus among analysts is that Antonelli’s Mercedes enjoys a modest power advantage over Hamilton’s Ferrari, meaning the Italian outfit will need to extract every possible ounce of performance if the 41‑year‑old champion is to keep his title bid alive. The battle for the constructors’ crown is also still open; Mercedes leads by 72 points, but Ferrari’s early‑season dominance has been eroded enough to keep the fight alive. Speaking after the final pre‑summer‑break race in Hungary – a Grand Prix that saw both Ferrari and Hamilton make several mistakes and resulted in a fifth‑place finish despite the car’s evident speed – Vasseur reflected on the first half of the year. “The opening half of the season unfolded in stages,” he said.
“Up until the Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes were simply flying. After Spain, when we returned, we managed to out‑score them over the last four or five races.” When asked which aspect required the most attention, Vasseur answered candidly: “If I have to draw a conclusion from Hungary, it would be execution.” He added, however, that execution had been one of Ferrari’s stronger points earlier in the year. “From the start of the season, our execution has generally been good,” he noted.
The team principal then turned to the technical side of the equation. “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, highlighting that power‑unit development poses a greater challenge than chassis tweaks. Rival teams, including McLaren’s Lando Norris, have suggested that Ferrari already possesses the best chassis on the grid but is being held back by a comparatively weaker power unit. Ferrari has already taken advantage of a one‑off engine upgrade permitted by the FIA’s performance‑balancing regulations. Yet Vasseur cautioned that the ceiling for further power‑unit gains remains uncertain.
“There is still room for improvement on the engine,” he said, “but we must also keep pushing the chassis forward.” The Frenchman emphasized the importance of maintaining a relentless development rhythm. “The most important thing will be to keep the pace in development,” he asserted.
He contrasted Ferrari’s philosophy with that of McLaren, noting that the British team tends to introduce large, comprehensive packages less frequently, whereas Ferrari prefers a more incremental approach, delivering new parts each race. “McLaren did a good job for a while, but they don’t share exactly the same philosophy as us. They bring a big package, and each time they do, it’s a huge step. We take a different route, trying to bring parts every race.” Vasseur stressed that this steady flow of upgrades is vital, especially 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 concluded. Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar resumes 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. As the summer break draws to a close, Ferrari’s challenge will hinge on how quickly and effectively the team can close the power‑unit gap, refine its chassis, and execute flawless race strategies to keep pace with Mercedes and keep Hamilton’s title hopes alive.