F1 GP China | Ferrari, Vasseur: "Hamilton-Leclerc fight? It's good for everyone"

Shanghai - Frederic Vasseur can look back on Saturday in Shanghai with a moderate but legitimate satisfaction. The team principal of the Classic Ferrari for sale celebrates a double podium in the Sprint Race morning and a solid second row secured in the official qualifying. The Chinese track is issuing a clear verdict: Ferrari confirms itself as the second overall force in the 2026 world championship and the gap from the Mercedes Benz di Toto wolff continues to thin out session after session, a sign that the development work is Maranello is going in the right direction.

In the Sprint Race, it was once again the two Reds who had the best start when the lights went out. Lewis Hamilton e Charles Leclerc they took advantage of the uncertainties of Kimi Antonelli, who once again appeared to be "planted" at the start. If the young Mercedes talent struggled, he got off to a great start. George Russell, with whom Hamilton engaged in a close battle throughout the first half of the race. The two former teammates battled for the lead in a duel of battery management and defensive lines, until the seven-time world champion was forced to give way, triggering a second, thrilling duel with his teammate.

The internal struggle: a sign of health for Maranello

Having two drivers battling for the podium isn't a problem for Vasseur, but a sign of extreme vitality for a team that has been chasing the world title for too many years. The close battle for second place in the Sprint class kept Italian fans glued to their TV screens until the middle of the night: Leclerc and Hamilton fought with no holds barred, proving unwilling to give even an inch.

A few hours later, in qualifying for the Grand Prix, Ferrari reaffirmed its status as the second force. The two SF-26 They will occupy the entire second row of the starting grid, ready to sprint in pursuit of the Silver Arrows. For a moment, the technical problems with George Russell's car gave the Maranello pit crew hope of a coup, but Mercedes has once again proven capable of resetting and maintaining a significant competitive advantage. However, the numbers are encouraging: the gap has dropped to "just" four tenths. In a Formula 1 where thousandths count like millstones, this is a significant step forward.

The Starting Factor: The SF-26's Secret Weapon

The start will once again make the difference tomorrow. Leclerc and Hamilton have proven extremely responsive on this front. The SF-26 has a more effective system when the lights go out, managing to get up to speed first thanks to its smaller turbocharger—a compromise that makes the difference at the start, guaranteeing greater momentum than the Mercedes. Toto Wolff's team, on the other hand, still appears to be struggling to find the right power delivery at the start, a weakness that Ferrari will try to exploit to break the pace of their rivals from the first lap.

Vasseur: "Internal struggle? It's good for everyone"

Frederic Vasseur, with his usual pragmatism, analyzed the situation to the press, highlighting the positive trend that is characterizing the Reds' trip to China.

“It's difficult to build solid statistics on just two events, but the feeling is that we're going in the right direction,” Vasseur began. “We were eight tenths behind Melbourne, Six yesterday and we're down to four today. The gap is closing, although we have to admit that they're still faster than us on the straight thanks to their even greater aerodynamic efficiency and power. This morning in the Sprint we had the medium tires and learned a lot; tomorrow we'll have new sets of hard and medium tires, and we believe wear will be more manageable now that we know how the track reacts."

The team principal then defended the management of his drivers, praising their ability to push themselves beyond the limit:

"Starting has been one of our strengths so far, and we'll continue to focus on it. We know Mercedes will also work to improve their weaknesses, so we're not expecting any gifts, but we'll be ready tomorrow. Regarding the battle between Charles and Lewis, it's normal for there to be some management when two cars are side by side. They're two great professionals, they respect each other and push each other to perform. This duality is good for the team because it raises the bar for everyone."