Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has made it clear that the Scuderia must sharpen its execution across an entire race weekend after a series of disappointing results in recent events. Since clinching victory at the British Grand Prix in early July – their second win in three races – the Italian outfit has seen its championship hopes dwindle. Charles Leclerc’s second‑place finish in Belgium, achieved just before the summer hiatus, remains the only podium the team has collected in the last five rounds. The reason for the decline is not a lack of speed.
The SF‑26 chassis continues to demonstrate genuine pace at various points during a weekend, as illustrated by the recent Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. Lewis Hamilton posted a provisional pole position after the early runs of Q3, only to be shuffled back to fourth on the final grid.
This example underscores that the car can be competitive, but converting that raw speed into race‑winning results has become a persistent challenge. Now the Scuderia heads to the narrow, wall‑lined streets of Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a circuit where driver confidence and flawless execution are paramount and any mistake is swiftly punished. Vasseur emphasized that Ferrari must bring their A‑game to the Azerbaijani streets.
"The past few weekends have shown that our car can deliver a solid level of performance, but they have also highlighted how crucial it is to piece together every element of the weekend," Vasseur said. "Baku presents a very specific test, where belief in the car and flawless execution are especially important.
It is also a venue where the weekend can throw a number of variables at you, so we need to stay focused on ourselves, adapt to whatever situations arise and make the most of every opportunity." Ferrari’s recent scarcity of podium finishes has pushed the dream of ending an 18‑year world‑title drought further out of reach this season. After Hamilton retired in Madrid with brake issues, he fell more than 100 points behind Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings for the first time. Meanwhile, Ferrari now sit 145 points adrift of Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship.
McLaren, currently in third place, have outscored Ferrari in each of the last four races and have narrowed the gap to just 52 points with nine rounds still to contest. The pressure on the Scuderia is mounting, and the need for strategic clarity is becoming ever more evident.
During an appearance on The F1 Show podcast, Sky Sports F1 analyst and former world champion Nico Rosberg pointed out that Ferrari are consistently "very close" to the front‑running pace but that their weekend execution continues to let them down. "Isn't it the case that Ferrari always have messy weekends?" Rosberg asked, noting that the team’s Achilles' heel remains in strategy and communication.
"That’s always been a weakness and still is a weakness of theirs now. Because the pace of the car is close – it’s damn close to being able to challenge consistency for race wins." Rosberg highlighted the missed opportunities in Madrid, where Hamilton, had he stayed on the track, would likely have finished second behind Max Verstappen after Verstappen let him through, and would have comfortably beaten Kimi Antonelli. "They’re very close.
They’re just not putting it together properly. And they really need to somehow make progress on that. That’s the main problem they’re facing," Rosberg concluded.
The upcoming weekend’s schedule is packed with sessions that will test Ferrari’s ability to adapt and execute. On Wednesday, September 23, a drivers’ press conference is slated for 11 am, followed by a paddock‑uncut interview at 2 pm.
Thursday brings F2 practice in the early morning, the first Azerbaijan GP practice session at 9:30 am, and a team‑bosses press conference at noon. The second practice session starts at 1 pm, and the F1 Show airs at 2:15 pm. Friday’s agenda includes the F2 sprint, a third practice session for the Grand Prix, and the qualifying build‑up, culminating in the Azerbaijan GP qualifying session at 1 pm. Saturday features the F2 feature race, the Grand Prix itself at midday, and post‑race analysis including Ted’s Qualifying Notebook.
Sunday rounds off the weekend with the race reaction and a final notebook segment. All of these events will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, with the option to stream via NOW without a long‑term contract. The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to deliver high‑octane action, and the Baku race will be a crucial indicator of whether Ferrari can overcome their strategic shortcomings and re‑ignite their title challenge. For Ferrari, the message is clear: the car’s speed is there, but the team must tighten its strategic planning, improve communication between pit wall and drivers, and ensure that every session—from practice to qualifying to the race itself—is executed with precision.
Only then can they hope to translate their competitive potential into podium finishes and, ultimately, a shot at ending the long‑standing championship drought.