Ferrari firmly second best as Fred Vasseur outlines clear path for improvement
Three races into the 2026 Formula 1 season, and it’s almost clear where every team stands.
Ferrari have set the pace as the second fastest team behind Mercedes this year, although McLaren were in the mix in Japan.
Leclerc delivers as Ferrari maximise points
Charles Leclerc joined race winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli and second-placed Oscar Piastri on the podium, while George Russell, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton rounded up the top six, respectively.
Leclerc’s podium finish highlighted another strong weekend for Ferrari, even if victory still looks just out of reach.
“I think it’s overall a good weekend with a fantastic drive from Charles over the last couple of laps, keeping Russell behind,” team principal Fred Vasseur reflected on the result.
“He was a bit unlucky like George with the Safety Car, but overall it was a strong performance.
“Now we have one month in front of us to come back a bit stronger before Miami. It’s good to score points and always be there to [stay on] the path of the Championship because it’s important for the rest of the season.”
“It was clear today that we have a deficit of performance in a straight line - they were complaining a lot, but it is like it is. We have room for improvement.”
Hamilton vs Leclerc battles a season highlight
One of the highlights of the 2026 F1 season so far has been the on-track battles between Hamilton and Leclerc, which we saw again in Suzuka.
Vasseur expressed no discontent with his drivers racing each other hard: “As long as we have the two cars at the end, yes, I’m happy.”
“It’s a good emulation and I think everybody would prefer to have the two cars in front rather than one at the front and one at the back.
“I’m very pleased with this - they have huge respect between them and they know perfectly that it’s Ferrari first. They are doing a very good job on track.”
READ MORE: McLaren show signs of life in Japan after difficult start to 2026 F1 season
Break offers chance to reset and improve
With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix cancelled, F1 will not be back for another month, until the weekend of May 1 to May 3 for the Miami GP.
This gives teams enough time to reflect on how they have started the season, and to plan ahead accordingly.
“It is the beginning of the homologation of the car. It means that we have tonnes of things to improve,” said Vasseur in a team interview.
“Now we have good data after three races to understand the competitiveness of the car, where we are OK-ish and where we are not.
“It means that performance is coming from everywhere, but we have to take a step in every single area of the performance.
“I am sure that it is true for us, but it will be true for everybody on the grid. It means that it is more a matter of doing a better job than the others and to take a step.”
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