Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has pledged that the Scuderia will arrive at the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid brimming with "all the energy" needed to rebound from what he described as a "failure" at their home race in Monza. The expectations in Italy were sky‑high, especially after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc posted impressive lap times in Friday's practice sessions. Yet the weekend quickly unraveled: neither driver secured a front‑row start in qualifying, and the race itself turned into a series of setbacks that left the Italian marque visibly shaken. Hamilton, who began the race in fourth place, was forced into a side‑by‑side battle with teammate Leclerc at the first chicane.
The contact sent Hamilton off the racing line and into the gravel at Turn 2, a moment he later expressed frustration about. Meanwhile, on the third lap, Leclerc suffered a dramatic crash that not only destroyed his car but also left the Monegasque driver with temporary eye irritation.
Despite briefly climbing to third position during the middle stages, Hamilton could not match the outright speed of the leading pack and ultimately finished sixth, trailing both Mercedes drivers, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and the two McLaren entries. Vasseur addressed the media with a clear message of resolve. "We will come to Madrid with all the energy that we need to do a good result," he said, acknowledging the disappointment that still lingers after Monza. "Even though I try to frame it as a normal race, it certainly isn’t, especially with the Tifosi behind us.
We wanted to give them something special as a thank‑you for their passion and support. We all feel we have let them down, but rest assured we will return much stronger." The technical side of Ferrari’s woes was also evident. The team introduced its second and final power‑unit upgrade of the season in Italy, yet the cars remained slower on the straights than the Mercedes‑powered rivals. Straight‑line speed has been Ferrari’s Achilles’ heel all year, a deficiency that Vasseur believes will be less critical at the twisty new Madrid circuit.
He admitted that he did not anticipate being able to fully close the power‑unit gap to Mercedes on this particular track. "When you lack pure power, you start to play with deployment to try to compensate on the straights," Vasseur explained. "But the more you use the ERS in one sector, the less you have available elsewhere, and that can send you spiralling in the wrong direction.
In truth, it’s not just about deployment. Even McLaren was fiddling with their settings on Friday and Saturday.
At the end of the day, we are missing raw horsepower." Ferrari’s engine situation is further complicated by the rules governing Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO). After the first ADUO review earlier in the season, the FIA determined that Ferrari was more than four percent off the benchmark set by Red Bull’s power unit.
This assessment granted the Scuderia the right to introduce two upgrades this year and also paved the way for a fresh engine package for the 2027 season. Vasseur highlighted the stark contrast between chassis and engine development timelines. "The chassis can be upgraded almost overnight and you can see an immediate gain in performance," he said. "Engine development, however, is a marathon.
Lead times for parts are long, and the cost cap makes it even more challenging – you have to produce an engine that will last the entire season." He added that any meaningful progress on the power unit will be incremental. "We’re not expecting to recover fully with ADUO 1 or ADUO 2. We’re taking small steps. Even a few hundredths of a second per lap can translate into several positions on the grid.
A modest increase in horsepower is a good step forward, and next year we’ll have a completely new engine. Our target is to close the gap as quickly as possible." Beyond the technical and performance aspects, the schedule for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend was also outlined. The event will feature a packed agenda, beginning with a drivers' press conference on Thursday, September 10 at 2 p.m., followed by a series of Formula 3 and Formula 2 practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and the main Formula 1 action.
Friday will see the first practice for F1 at 12 p.m., a qualifying session for F2 at 12:55 p.m., and the team bosses’ press conference at 2:40 p.m. Saturday’s lineup includes an F3 sprint, the third F1 practice, the F2 sprint, and the crucial Spanish Grand Prix qualifying session. The race day on Sunday, September 13, will culminate with the Grand Prix itself at 2 p.m., followed by post‑race analysis and reactions.
The Spanish Grand Prix will be held at the brand‑new Madring circuit, a venue designed to test drivers with a blend of high‑speed straights and technical corners. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via the NOW platform without a long‑term contract. As the Scuderia prepares to travel to Madrid, the message from Vasseur is unequivocal: the team will channel the disappointment from Monza into motivation, aiming to deliver a performance that satisfies both their passionate fanbase and their own high standards. The upcoming weekend offers a fresh canvas, and Ferrari is determined to paint a more successful picture.