Ferrari’s ‘good weekend’ at Suzuka blunted by key SF-26 deficit

Last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix delivered another trophy for Ferrari’s cabinet, but team boss Fred Vasseur left Suzuka with the fact that straight-line performance remains a major area for improvement for the outfit’s SF-26 contender.

Charles Leclerc’s run to P3 came amid a dramatic race that saw him pit early and then fight his way back through the field, ultimately holding off George Russell in the closing laps.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton finished sixth after a tense battle with Lando Norris, with the Briton calling it a “pretty terrible weekend” after struggling with what he described as a down on power machine.

Podium praise, but performance deficit

“I think it’s overall a good weekend with a fantastic drive from Charles over the last couple of laps, keeping Russell behind,” Vasseur said. “He was a bit unlucky like George with the Safety Car, but overall it was a strong performance.

“Now we have one month in front of us to come back a bit stronger before Miami. It’s good to score points and always be there to [stay on] the path of the Championship because it’s important for the rest of the season.

“It was clear today that we have a deficit of performance in a straight line – they were complaining a lot, but it is like it is. We have room for improvement.”

While Leclerc and Hamilton briefly made contact during their intra-team battle, Vasseur praised the way his drivers raced hard while respecting the Scuderia’s priorities.

“As long as we have the two cars at the end, yes, I’m happy,” he confirmed. “It’s a good emulation and I think everybody would prefer to have the two cars in front rather than one at the front and one at the back.

“I’m very pleased with this – they have huge respect between them and they know perfectly that it’s Ferrari first. They are doing a very good job on track.”

Miami up next: Homologation and upgrades

With the season now pausing for four weeks before the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari – and all teams – will thoroughly analysing their early-season data and targeting performance gains.

Vasseur underlined that the SF-26 still has room to grow, particularly to close the gap to Mercedes.

“It is the beginning of the homologation of the car. It means that we have tons of things to improve. Now we have good data after three races to understand the competitiveness of the car, where we are OK-ish and where we are not,” he explained.

“It means that performance is coming from everywhere, but we have to take a step in every single area of the performance.

“I am sure that it is true for us, but it will be true for everybody on the grid. It means that it is more a matter of doing a better job than the others and to take a step.”

• Read also: Leclerc outsmarted ‘cheeky’ Mercedes tactics to secure Suzuka podium

For Ferrari, the Japanese GP offered both encouragement and a reminder: while podium finishes are welcome, straight-line speed deficits and small margins in performance will be the key battleground as the championship unfolds.

The next month will be critical for the Scuderia to turn their data into tangible upgrades before the racing resumes in Miami.

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