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Vasseur Exposes McLaren’s Tire Mastery: Ferrari Struggles to Keep Up in Epic Showdown!

David Castro by David Castro
August 21, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Vasseur Exposes McLaren’s Tire Mastery: Ferrari Struggles to Keep Up in Epic Showdown!

Formula One F1 - Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria - June 26, 2025 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Ferrari’s Struggles Laid Bare: Vasseur Admits McLaren’s Dominance in Tire Management

As the F1 circus gears up for the highly anticipated Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Ferrari finds itself in a precarious position, clinging to second place in the Constructors’ Championship with 260 points. However, the gap to McLaren is a staggering 299 points—a chasm that reflects a season of near-perfection for the Woking-based team, which has left Ferrari trailing in its wake.

In a candid interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Ferrari’s Team Principal, Frédéric Vasseur, faced the burning question: Is McLaren’s rise attributed to their own improvements, or is it simply a reflection of Ferrari’s decline? Vasseur revealed a grim reality: “In the last three or four weekends, we’ve managed to cut the gap to two tenths,” he explained. “At the start of the season, we faced numerous challenges with on-track management. Quality issues and disqualifications threw us off course. It’s all about the details; the qualifying session in Budapest was a perfect example of this. If you focus on the wrong things, you lose ground instantly and massively. If Charles (Leclerc) had been two tenths slower, he would have finished sixth instead of first. It’s incredibly difficult to discern what’s crucial at any given moment to maintain speed.”

Vasseur didn’t hold back when discussing the key differences between Ferrari and McLaren. He pointed out the clear advantage McLaren holds in tire management, especially in wet or hot conditions. “McLaren is exceptional in tire management,” he stated, acknowledging the limitations that have hindered Ferrari’s performance this season. “Disqualifications for Hamilton and Leclerc in China disrupted our plans significantly. We had to maintain a safety margin regarding ride height. As we all know, these cars are extremely sensitive in terms of ride height; every millimeter translates to a position on the starting grid. Without full control over vehicle height, competitiveness is compromised. In trying to solve one issue, we lose focus on others. The preparation of tires for qualifying, the warm-up laps—who knows?”

Vasseur emphasized that the crux of Ferrari’s challenges lies in the stability of their aerodynamic platform. “For the past two years, we’ve been focusing more on drivability and predictability rather than pure downforce. The most significant step we took in this direction was at Monza last year. This allows the driver to extract more from the package. If they’re unsure of how the car will behave, they’re too far from the limit.”

With the clock ticking down to the race at Zandvoort, Ferrari must address these glaring issues if they hope to close the gap to McLaren and reclaim their status as frontrunners in Formula 1. The pressure is mounting, and only time will tell if they can rise to the occasion.

Tags: 1958-formula-1-seasonamato-ferrariarrow-mclarenCharles LeclercFrédéric VasseurLewis Hamilton
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