Despite a mixed start in the 2025 Formula 1 season, Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur is confident. After Japan’s Grand Prix, the Frenchman emphasizes that his team was on the right track. His assessment: a year ago, the deficit was even greater.
When asked whether Ferrari is there, where it was hoped for at the beginning of the season, Vasseur reacts pragmatically: “I have not spent the winter to create expectations as ‘We are in races 1 or there’.”
Rather, it is crucial to get the maximum out of the existing material from the start.
The view of 2024 supports its attitude: At that time, Ferrari was “an average of around six tenths of a second” behind the top at the beginning of the season – a significantly larger deficit than today.
The team fought closer to the season, and that’s the goal. “We have to keep the same approach. It doesn’t matter how big the deficit is, it doesn’t matter what the result is today – we have to do a better job next week, increase the potential and exhaust it better.”
Vasseur: “You don’t suddenly find four tenths”
The gap to the top is currently estimated to be two to three tenths of a second. But Vasseur warns of the illusion of a “magical update”.
“There is no such thing as a magic trick that brings three or four tenths,” says the team leader. “Most of the time you improve because you improve ten different areas by two or three hundredths and bring everything together. You improve the balance, you help the driver to get the best out.”
But in the end that is always a tightrope walk. Vasseur explains to Charles Leclerc’s qualifying round in Suzuka: “To be honest, I think we were not that far away, but it was very difficult for us – probably also for Leclerc – a perfect round.”
“He lost one and a half tenths of the last harassment and another tenth in the first curve. But that’s not an excuse – I don’t say that we have the best car, it wasn’t at all. It was the same with Piatri, and for everyone else.”
“If you are at a certain point, it is quite difficult to get the maximum out of the car. And we also have to work on it – on the mobility.”
“Everyone wants to go deeper the car – but there are limits”
The driving height is a recurring topic. Ferrari also has problems driving the car as deep as desired without sitting (“bottom”).
“We all want to drive the car deeper, we all want to drive up more. But there are limits – physical and through the regulations,” explains Vasseur. “And we all spend the weekend with finding out where this border is – we can drive the car a little deeper, and then you are too deep.”
Especially on routes with bumps or high cliffs, the teams come across their limits here. “It is the same for everyone, and we all know that this car type has a strong performance with ground clearance,” says Vasseur.
It is therefore not a ferrari-specific problem. “This is not a property of our car this year or a special feature of Ferrari – that applies to everyone.”
Ferrari wants to stay true to his approach
When asked how difficult it is to keep the team happy after the desired strong opening of the season has failed to materialize, Vasseur replies with a wink: “I am amused because it was the same for the last two years.”
“Of course that’s not ideal – and I would rather win the first race than to land in fifth place,” admits the Frenchman. “But on the other hand, we are not allowed to change our approach compared to last year.” At that time the situation was similar, “maybe even a little worse,” he says.
“And the team’s reaction was very, very strong. We worked as a team, made small improvements step by step – and that is exactly what we have to do again.”