Fred Vasseur says Scuderia Ferrari’s biggest strength in the second half of the F1 season will be the same thing that has helped it close the gap before the summer break: steady development. With 11 or 12 races still to go, the Ferrari team principal said the team has to keep bringing parts, keep improving the car and keep tightening up execution if it wants to stay in the constructors' championship fight.
That message comes after a first half that Vasseur described as having two clear phases. Before Spain, he said Mercedes was flying and scored something like 100 points more than Ferrari in four or five events. After Spain, Ferrari responded and scored more points than Mercedes over the next four or five races. By the time the F1 season reached the summer break, Ferrari had trimmed Mercedes’ lead from 79 points to 72 points.
Ferrari’s development pace is the key
Vasseur’s core point is simple: Ferrari cannot afford to lose momentum now. He said the team’s approach has been to bring smaller parts every single race, rather than waiting for larger upgrade packages. That matters because Mercedes is expected to lean on a second-half weighted upgrade programme, while McLaren has used fewer but bigger packages this season.
Vasseur said McLaren’s updates have often produced a “huge step,” noting that the last one was in Miami or Canada. He also said Ferrari’s own approach is different, but no less important. “For sure, each time they bring something, they are making a huge step, but we have a different approach, trying to bring parts every single race, and we have to keep this momentum because it's still 11 or 12 races to go... and we have room for improvement on the chassis everywhere, and we have to keep this pace,” he said.
For Ferrari, that makes the next phase of the season less about one big swing and more about consistency. The car has shown it can move forward over a short stretch, but the question now is whether that can continue while rivals are also adding performance.
Execution and the engine side still matter
Vasseur also pointed to the areas Ferrari still needs to improve. After the Hungarian Grand Prix, he said execution was one of the areas to keep an eye on, even if it has been a decent part of Ferrari’s season so far. He also said the team knows it has work to do on the engine side.
That is why the closing stretch of the campaign feels significant. Ferrari has already shown it can respond after a difficult run, and it has narrowed Mercedes’ advantage. But Vasseur made it clear that the race is not just about catching up once. It is about maintaining a development rhythm, avoiding mistakes and continuing to improve across the car.
In a season-long championship battle, that combination may be the difference between hanging in the fight and falling behind. Ferrari has made progress. The test now is whether Scuderia Ferrari can keep making it.
