Ferrari believes that the Formula 1 championship could take a new direction starting from the Miami GP. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur stated that the competition should change after the first stages of the season, despite Mercedes’ initial advantage.
Read more F1: Antonelli surprised by pole advantage at Suzuka
The Italian team arrives at the weekend in Suzuka after achieving two podiums in the first races of the year, a P3 for Charles Leclerc and another P3 for Lewis Hamilton. However, the performance in the qualifying session for the Japanese GP showed that there is still a gap to be bridged, with Leclerc in fourth and Hamilton in sixth on the starting grid.
When questioned by Sky Italy about the start of the season, Vasseur stated that the balance is positive, but still far from ideal: “Yes and no. No, because our goal is not just to reach the podium, but also to win races. This means we have a performance deficit to Mercedes, and that is clear,” stated the French executive.
Even with this current disadvantage, the Ferrari boss believes that the situation can change with the development of the cars throughout the season. According to him, the priority at this moment is to keep the team close to the lead while new updates are introduced: “Overall, we are not that far away and we know that, from Miami onwards, it could be a different championship. We need to continue scoring many points, achieving podiums and staying close to Mercedes,” he added.
Read more F1: Antonelli matches champions’ feat after new pole
The executive also highlighted that technical evolution will be decisive in the coming months. For him, the capacity for development throughout the season could redefine the title race.
“We have to stay in the fight in qualifying. The pace of development throughout the championship will be very high, so we need to keep pushing in the coming months to build points and results,” concluded the Ferrari boss.
Read more F1: 5 decisive points for the 2026 Japanese GP race
