Ferrari makes big concession over F1 2026 title loss to Mercedes
Ferrari has closed the gap on Mercedes as the 2026 season has progressed
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has revealed that the team knew since the beginning of the season that it would be tough to win a Formula 1 title in 2026 due to its power deficit.
Mercedes completed the championship double with the Constructors’ crown in Brazil last weekend, spelling an end to Ferrari’s slim hopes of ceasing an 18-year barren run.
During that time, Ferrari has finished second on seven separate occasions, a position that it looks poised to occupy again come the end of this campaign as the Maranello-based squad harbours a 95-point advantage over Red Bull with three races remaining.
But while Ferrari has capitalised on the drastic overhaul to the regulations this year to improve upon a miserable 2025 – when it went winless and dropped to fourth in the standings – there still remains a lingering feeling of ‘what if’ about the team’s season.
Rival drivers have repeatedly claimed that Ferrari’s SF-26 negotiates the corners faster than any other car. However, that good work has tended to be undone on the straights, something that has continued to plague the Scuderia with two upgrades to its engine.
Vasseur admitted that Ferrari was aware from the outset that it would be a challenge to mount a sustained bid for the title with such an apparent weakness in its package.
“I think everybody on the grid wants to win, want to fight. We are all competitors, and we all want to win,” he said. “When you start the championship, you have this goal.
“Now we knew from the beginning that it would be difficult for us, that we understood from the first straight line. I think the team did a good job to continue to push to develop the engine. I think on the chassis side, we are more than performant.”
“Congratulations to Mercedes, we’ll see you next year,” he quipped.
More from PlanetF1.com
Imola reveals future F1 return plan after FIA announcement
Mercedes reveals findings into Brazilian GP issues after W17 investigation
Following a strong start, Ferrari endured a slight dip in competitiveness through the middle of the year as other teams introduced updates, culminating in a five-race run without a podium until Lewis Hamilton curtailed that drought with third in Malaysia.
Charles Leclerc then backed that up with a run to second in Singapore before Ferrari brought new developments to Austin that have enhanced the SF-26’s competitiveness.
Vasseur has acknowledged that Ferrari has “missed opportunities” during that time, notably in Mexico when an opening-lap clash between his drivers all but handed the win to Max Verstappen, but he is content with the progress the team has made, given that he estimates that it began the season around six to seven tenths behind Mercedes.
“From Malaysia, let’s say that we are much more performant. There are one or two missed opportunities, but in terms of pure performance, we are there,” he assessed.
“We had the first six races of the season a bit difficult compared to Mercedes. They were perhaps six, seven tenths faster than us. Then we came back all over the season.
“Now we score more points than everybody after Madrid. I don’t know if it’s still true today. I didn’t do the calculation, but I think it’s good for the approach of the team, and it’s a good feeling and good mood before the winter break.”
Read next: George Russell points to Lewis Hamilton example in F1 2027 recovery bid
