Ferrari have reached a crossroads much earlier this season than anyone would have imagined.
Team principal Fred Vasseur would have been dreaming about having to manage Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in a championship battle this year.
However, after just three race weekends, Vasseur has already overseen a Sprint Race win for Hamilton and a double disqualification that has left them on the back foot in the constructors’ championship.
Ferrari made some important changes to their car heading into pre-season, but nothing as bold as McLaren, aside from a shift to pull-rod suspension.
Unfortunately, after coming so close to winning the championship last year, Ferrari have taken a step backwards compared to their rivals this year.
Leclerc wasn’t happy with his car during pre-season, and doesn’t appear to be impressed with the progress made thus far.
Vasseur has made his stance clear on Ferrari’s immediate development, but he now seems to be at odds with the Monegasque driver.
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Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur’s stance on Ferrari’s next steps
Speaking after the race in Japan, Leclerc admitted it was a ‘lonely’ race as he failed to make up any ground to the McLarens racing ahead of him, but held off both Mercedes drivers comfortably enough.
He said: “P4 is not a result we are ever satisfied with, but looking at the positives of this weekend, the work we did on Friday in terms of set-up adjustment and the learnings we take into the next races have paid off.
“We made good progress, but we have to keep our heads down and keep working before we come to any conclusions.
“The front runners still have quite an advantage in terms of pace.”
| Position | Constructors’ Standings | Points |
| 1 |
McLaren Racing |
111 |
| 2 |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas |
75 |
| 3 |
Red Bull Racing |
61 |
| 4 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
35 |
| 5 |
Williams F1 Team |
19 |
| 6 |
Haas F1 Team |
15 |
| 7 |
Aston Martin F1 Team |
10 |
| 8 |
Racing Bulls |
7 |
| 9 |
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber |
6 |
| 10 |
Alpine F1 Team |
0 |
A report from Motorsport Italia has highlighted the different points of view that currently exist within the Ferrari camp.
They believe that Leclerc and Vasseur have ‘very different views’ on Ferrari’s next steps, with the team principal keen to address the balance of the car before making any drastic changes.
Leclerc, on the other hand, ‘gave his all in Japan’ and for that reason believes that changes are needed if either he or Hamilton is going to challenge for the championship.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Why this season’s Ferrari has a very different problem to solve compared to their 2024 F1 car
It can also be said that Ferrari didn’t nail the SF-24, last year’s F1 car, until too late in the season to challenge for either title.
However, Ferrari identified that the car was bouncing too much at high speeds, and once that was addressed, Leclerc outscored Verstappen and Lando Norris during the final races of the campaign.
This year, Ferrari’s car faces a different problem where neither driver feels completely comfortable during low-speed portions of the track.
It’s ‘strongly suspected’ that the weight distribution of the car is the reason for these issues, and while Vasseur is adamant that Ferrari can tinker their way through this problem, Leclerc thinks more drastic changes are needed.
Only one party will be proven right in the end, but both will hope they discover the solution as quickly as possible.
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