Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has vowed that his squad will approach the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid brimming with enthusiasm, intent on rebounding from what he termed a "failure" at Monza. The expectations for the Scuderia were especially high at their home race, given the impressive pace shown by both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during Friday's practice sessions. Yet the weekend unraveled dramatically: the pair failed to secure a front‑row start in qualifying, and the race itself turned into a series of setbacks.
Hamilton, who began the race in fourth place, was forced to drop to tenth after an aggressive move alongside Leclerc at the first chicane. The maneuver sent Hamilton off the racing line and into the gravel at Turn 2, an incident that left him visibly frustrated. Meanwhile, Leclerc suffered a severe crash on the third lap, destroying his car and leaving the Monegasque driver with temporary eye irritation. Despite a brief surge to third place mid‑race, Hamilton could not sustain the pace needed to challenge the leaders.
He ultimately crossed the line in sixth position, trailing both Mercedes drivers, Red Bull's Max Verstappen, and the two McLaren entries. "We will arrive in Madrid with all the energy required to achieve a solid result," Vasseur said.
"Monza was, for us, not just another race. Even though I tried to downplay it during the week, you can imagine the pressure with the Tifosi behind us.
We wanted to give them something special as a thank‑you for their passion and support. We feel we fell short, but rest assured we will come back far stronger." Ferrari has already introduced its second and final power‑unit upgrade for the current season, yet the cars still lagged behind the Mercedes‑powered rivals on the long straights.
Straight‑line speed has been the team's Achilles' heel all year, a deficiency that is less pronounced on the twisty layout of the new Madrid circuit. Vasseur acknowledged that he did not anticipate being able to fully offset the power deficit against Mercedes.
"When you lack outright power, you start to manipulate deployment to compensate on the straights," he explained. "But if you boost deployment in one area, you inevitably have to reduce it elsewhere, creating a negative spiral when you're fighting wheel‑to‑wheel.
The truth is, it's not just about deployment. Even McLaren was tweaking theirs on Friday and Saturday.
At the end of the day, we are missing pure horsepower." Earlier in the year, after the first Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) review, Ferrari was found to be more than four percent off the benchmark set by Red Bull. This assessment granted the Scuderia permission to introduce two engine upgrades during the current season and an additional one for 2027, when a brand‑new power unit will be fielded.
"Engine development is a marathon, not a sprint," Vasseur noted. "You can change the chassis almost overnight and see immediate gains, but the engine cycle is far longer. Lead times for parts are extensive, and the cost cap makes it even more challenging—you have to produce an entire season's supply." He added that any meaningful progress will come in incremental steps. "We aren't expecting to close the gap with ADUO‑1 or ADUO‑2 alone.
Each small improvement on the engine translates to hundredths of a second, which can mean a few positions on the grid. Even a modest increase in horsepower is a valuable step forward. With a fresh engine slated for next year, our target is to catch up as quickly as possible." The Spanish Grand Prix weekend schedule is packed with action. On Thursday, September 10, the drivers' press conference will begin at 2 p.m., followed by the paddock uncut at 5 p.m.
Friday, September 11, features F3 practice at 8:50 a.m., F2 practice at 10 a.m., and the first Spanish Grand Prix practice session at 12:30 p.m., with qualifying for F2 at 12:55 p.m. The team bosses' press conference is slated for 2:40 p.m., followed by the second practice session at 4 p.m., F3 qualifying at 5:20 p.m., and the F1 Show at 6:20 p.m. Saturday, September 12, includes the F3 sprint at 10 a.m., the third practice session for the Grand Prix at 11:30 a.m., the F2 sprint at 1:10 p.m., and the build‑up to qualifying at 2:15 p.m.
Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix will take place at 3 p.m., with the F3 Feature Race 1 at 4:55 p.m. and Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 6 p.m. On Sunday, September 13, the day kicks off with the F3 Feature Race 2 at 8:40 a.m., followed by the F2 Feature Race at 10:20 a.m.
The Grand Prix build‑up begins at 12:30 p.m., leading to the race itself at 2 p.m. The chequered flag will fall at 4 p.m., after which the Spanish GP reaction and Ted's Notebook will air at 5 p.m. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW – a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime option.
Ferrari fans can watch the team's efforts to rectify their Monza disappointment and see whether Vasseur's promise of a stronger comeback materialises on the streets of Madrid.