Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur made it clear that he was not optimistic about the championship scenarios discussed by the print and visual media following Charles Leclerc's victory at Silverstone. Ferrari, having won two of the last three races, continues to fight for the drivers' championship, trailing Kimi Antonelli by 32 points, and Mercedes by 78 points in the constructors' championship, alongside Lewis Hamilton.<\/p>\n
Vasseur recalled how he distanced himself from overly optimistic comments following the surprise Spanish GP victory in Barcelona\u2014Hamilton's first win in a Ferrari uniform\u2014which came with a major upgrade package. He highlighted that his team had a difficult weekend in Austria and that the poor performance in Spielberg was squeezed between the Barcelona and Silverstone victories, noting that inconsistent results prevented hasty conclusions. Vasseur said: \u201cAfter Barcelona, they told me 'Ferrari is back in contention for the championship.' I said no. A week later they said 'Ferrari is gone.' Again I said no. I tell everyone the same thing: We had a good weekend, now let's focus on Spa. We are not champions, but we are not gone either. We are progressing step by step.\u2018<\/p>\n
Vasseur acknowledged that Mercedes maintained its lead despite pressure from Hamilton, who is 32 points behind Antonelli in the drivers' championship, and a 78-point gap in the constructors' championship. \u201cMercedes still has a slight advantage in pure performance. If you look at the six or seven sessions we did this weekend, they were probably ahead five times,\u201d said Vasseur, offering a cautious assessment of the Belgian GP. He reminded everyone that the high-speed Spa-Francorchamps circuit, with its long straights and dramatic energy harvesting requirements, will place different demands on the 2026 power units. \u201cThe weather will also be quite different. We have to start from scratch every weekend. We can\u2019t think we can gain five or six seconds in a week; it\u2019s the sum of small gains in every area that will make the difference,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Vasseur added that the championship discussions were of interest to the media, not him, as his team prepared for the Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps on July 28: \u201cI never try to draw conclusions after one or two races, after a good or bad result. I just focus on doing more and doing better. That applies to me and everyone at the factory. Talking about the championship is your job; I never do that.\u201d<\/p>\n