Ferrari boss predicts 'a different championship from Miami onwards'

Ferrari come into the Suzuka weekend off the back of two podiums in the opening races of the season, with Charles Leclerc placing his SF-26 fourth in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, while Hamilton finished sixth.

Asked by Sky Italy after qualifying whether he was satisfied with the start to the season, the Frenchman admitted to mixed feelings: "Yes and no. No, because our goal is not just to get on the podium, but also to win races. That means we have a performance deficit to Mercedes, and that’s clear."

Despite a clear gap to Mercedes in the opening rounds, Vasseur believes the key is to stay within touching distance in the standings, as things could change from Miami onwards: "Overall we’re not far off and we know that from Miami onwards it could be a different championship. We need to keep scoring a lot of points, getting on the podium and staying close to Mercedes.

He finally added: "We have to remain in the fight in the standings. The rate of development across the championship will be very high, which is why we need to keep pushing hard over the coming months to build points and results."

The seven-time world champion does not believe further changes to qualifying will significantly help Ferrari close the gap to pole positions. Speaking in Japan, he played down expectations of any major impact, while still hoping meaningful adjustments could be introduced. He pointed to a clear performance deficit compared to Mercedes, suggesting the difference could stem from factors such as turbo size, engine power, or other unknown elements.

He stressed that the team must focus on understanding the gap and working harder to reduce it. Hamilton also explained his scepticism, noting that having too many 'chefs in the kitchen' often makes it difficult to arrive at an effective solution.