Frédéric Vasseur after Miami: "We need to keep pushing hard at the factory, that will be the key for the rest of the season."

Everything seemed to be going well for... Classic Ferrari for sale finishes on the podium at the Miami Grand Prix. The spin of Charles Leclerc in the final lap, while he was trying to regain the advantage over Oscar piastri For third place, a potential podium finish turned into a disappointing sixth place for Ferrari. Frédéric Vasseur, who had not yet been able to speak with his driver when facing the media, remained factual about the incident: "I think he lost the car on the kerb. He was pushing hard to try and stay with Piastri for the last lap, and well, it happens." No controversy, no accusation — a clinical analysis that contrasts sharply with the frustration one would imagine in these circumstances.

Ultimately, the Ferrari boss identified tire management as the central theme of the entire weekend in Miami. The Florida heat, combined with the new 2026 cars being particularly demanding on their tires, created a context where the slightest management error was immediately punished. "It's quite easy to overheat the tires and find yourself in a bad situation." Frédéric Vasseur distinguishes two distinct phases in the race: a first controlled part, where Ferrari was in the fresh air and could maintain a good pace, and a second phase that was much more difficult after the safety car which tightened up the entire field: "After the safety car, it allowed everyone to come back and it was much more difficult."

Development as the only answer

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the Scuderia director is clear: the key will be in the continued development of the cars, in a 2026 season where all teams are progressing at a rapid pace. “We’re going to focus heavily on development, and that will be the case for everyone. We saw what we achieved this weekend,” McLaren also, Red Bull "Also, that means it will be like this until the end of the year, and we need to keep pushing hard at the factory; that will be the key for the rest of the season." This is a view shared throughout the paddock, in a new regulatory context that still offers enormous room for improvement for all teams.

Tire overheating is not a surprise for Ferrari, according to Frédéric Vasseur, who points out that tests carried out last year had already identified this problem: "We knew that tire overheating would be a problem after the tests we did last year, and that was clearly the case." The good news is that Canada is the next stop on the championship tour in three weeks: "It will be much cooler in Canada! But this will remain an issue for us and probably for everyone." A technical challenge that will not disappear with the expected Montreal coolness, but which will at least be less exacerbated than under the Florida sun.

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