Ferrari is F1’s oldest and most successful team. Though they haven’t won a world championship in 17 years, the fanfare for the men in Red is at an all-time high. With Lewis Hamilton‘s arrival and a consistently improving performance graph, the stage for them to challenge Red Bull in 2025 is set. However, the 2026 regulations reset has Max Verstappen & Co.’s entire attention. And their engine partner, Ford’s revelation, has threatened Ferrari revival.
Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has changed the face of the iconic team. With quick developments on their challenger, they got the closest to Red Bull in the ground-effect era. Their only chance at challenging the Milton Keynes-based team can come in 2025. Even if it did, it would be short-lived, considering the 2026 overhaul that Ford promises to ace with Red Bull.
“It is absolutely true that at Ferrari they have the knowledge, all the people, and all that experience in a system that already works,” Ford’s global motorsports director, Mark Rushbrook, told Autosport. “So yes, they might have an advantage with that. But I would say that one of the things though where we have an advantage is the team that is working on the power unit for us, for 2026, is only working on the power unit for 2026. They are not working on the power units for today.”
| Mark Rushbrook on competitors’ advantages over the RBPT project
“It is absolutely true that at Ferrari they have the knowledge, all the people and all that experience in a system that already works. So yes, they might have an advantage with that.
But I would say that one… pic.twitter.com/fujlel0Zi9
— RBR News
(@redbulletin) May 13, 2024
A few weeks ago, Red Bull TP Christian Horner had claimed that their 2026 project’s “aggressive curve” was “hitting the targets”. Though he acknowledged that the energy drinks manufacturer has barely any experience in engine-making, unlike Ferrari, Rushbrook’s statements should put his mind at ease. However, Frederic Vasseur is not thinking that far. His sole focus is on turning around Ferrari’s current faring against Red Bull.
Frederic Vasseur rejoices as Red Bull’s “comfort zone” breaks
In 2023, Max Verstappen routed through the rest of the grid quite easily. With the RB19 under him, nothing was impossible. They finished with over double the points over Ferrari – 860 v/s 406. But the Maranello outfit has taken long strides with their winter break developments focusing on more downforce. As a result, Verstappen is no longer untouchable.
“At Red Bull they are no longer in the comfort zone of last season, when it didn’t really matter what happened,” Vasseur said, as quoted by Formule1.nl. “After the first or second round, they are already ahead. I think the reduction of the deficit is a game-changer in the management of the race. This is an opportunity for us. If we take another small step, we’ll be in a really good position to fight with them every weekend.”
Though Red Bull’s dominance shell has finally been cracked by Ferrari, McLaren too has emerged as a worthy race winner. Frederic Vasseur & Co. need more than the occasional podium now to defend their position from the men in Papaya Orange.
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