Vasseur gives important aspect Ferrari must nail at the Austrian Grand Prix

09:53, 23 Jun

Updated: 11:08, 23 Jun

byOlly Darcy

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has highlighted the importance of tyre wear and performance, saying any team that excels "will be in front" at the Austrian Grand Prix.

It comes after the Italian team could not make use of the Pirelli wheels bolted to their SF-25 at the Canadian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton only able to come P5 and P6, respectively.

Those results see the Scuderia sit P3 in the constructors' championship on 183 points, 191 points off the pace of McLaren at the top of the standings.

Charles Leclerc has taken just the three podiums Ferrari have tallied so far in 2025, with Lewis Hamilton yet to find the top three in any Grand Prix.

Vasseur optimistic as rumours on his future continue to swirl

However, despite the lack of pace that Ferrari had around the CIrcuit Gilles Villeneuve, Vasseur beliees there is still some pace that could be extracted at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.

"If you have a look, I think the pace was good or decent in Barcelona," the Frenchman started by saying.

"We were able to be quick in sector one there, and we were quick in Monaco, so honestly, I'm not sure that the characteristic of the car is the main issue today.

"The main issue is to do a good usage of the tyre first, and to understand the tyres and to choose the good one for quali. The exercise is quite difficult."

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The weekend in the Styrian hills could be one of vital importance regarding Vasseur as team principal, with rumours about his future in the top job coming to light, which were also allowed to be published by Ferrari's president, John Elkann.

"I think there is much more than between the cars," Vasseur stated, hoping his team can exploit that gap.

"It means that it doesn't matter how the car is performing; if the team is doing a very good job on the tyres, they will be in front.

"It's true this weekend [in Canada], it was true in Monaco, it was true in Imola, and it is like it is, and it will be like this until the end of the season. But it's the same for everybody, and we have to do a better job," concluded the 57-year-old.