Speaking at the pre‑race press conference in Baku, Vasseur said the recent races have shown that the SF‑26 can be competitive, but the team’s inability to string together strong qualifying, strategy and race‑day performance has cost them valuable points.
The warning comes after Ferrari’s last five rounds yielded only a single podium – Charles Leclerc’s second place in Belgium – despite the team’s victory at the British Grand Prix in early July, which was its second win in three races.
In Madrid, Lewis Hamilton posted a provisional pole in the early part of Q3 but ultimately qualified fourth, underscoring the car’s pace but also the volatility of the weekend’s results.
Ferrari now sit 145 points behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship and 52 points behind third‑placed McLaren, which have outscored the Scuderia in each of the last four events.
Former world champion Nico Rosberg, appearing on Sky Sports’ The F1 Show, echoed Vasseur’s concerns, calling Ferrari’s “Achilles’ heel” a persistent weakness in strategy and communication that prevents the team from converting close lap times into race wins.
Vasseur added that Baku’s narrow, wall‑lined street circuit magnifies the need for confidence in the car and flawless execution, noting that the venue can produce “several variables” that punish any lapse in focus.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled for Saturday, with practice sessions on Thursday and Friday, qualifying on Friday afternoon and the race on Sunday at midday, marking the start of a triple‑header weekend that also includes Formula 2 events.