Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has appeared sceptical as to whether the team has improved on one of the key weaknesses holding back its progress during this Formula 1 season.
The team’s SF-25 has been one of the big disappointments of the year so far, having been initially billed as the strongest package after McLaren.
Its pre-season performance was partly the reason for this, but from the opening round in Australia, the Scuderia has continuously struggled, with the occasional moment of improvement.
One of its big areas of weakness has been its pullrod rear suspension, which had previously been a benefit in its tyre management, but 2025 has seen a significant downturn in this area.
The suspension’s lack of rigidity has created a domino effect on the car’s performance, causing an inability to largely perform well at higher ride heights.
Ferrari eam saw improvement at Monaco, with Charles Leclerc qualifying and finishing in second place, with Lewis Hamilton fifth, a surprise given the nature of the circuit has been one that has played against the car so far this season.
After last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, in which Leclerc took an opportunistic third with Hamilton a disappointing sixth, Vasseur was asked if he had seen any improvement in tyre warm-up.
“If you consider Monaco and Spain I would say yes, but with the tyres you have to be humble and to start each weekend from scratch,” Vasseur told media including Motorsport Week.
“It’s not because we didn’t step on the tyre approach management and so the last two or three races that we will be in very good shape in Canada.
“We have to continue to try to do a better job and to be dedicated to focus on this because it’s key, clearly, for the performance today. Perhaps not with McLaren because they are still tepid, but between Mercedes, Red Bull and us, I think the tyre management is key in qualifying and in the race.”
Ferrari must be ‘humble’ in tyre battle at Canada
Vasseur pointed out the nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will be a completely different kettle of fish to what we have seen in the recent European triple-header.
And it is for this reason that he has called for the team to be vigiliant and not count its chickens in the belief that it has now made a step further in cracking the tyre code.
“I mean that for sure we will put a lot of focus on this and you have to build up your weekend for this with the tyre choice for FP1, FP2, FP3,” he said.
“In Canada it’s a different story, you will see it’s a different tarmac, much colder, not the same corner as you, but with that we have to be humble and not to imagine that what we learned or understood in Barcelona will be fully true in two week’s’ time.”
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