Ferrari points to execution as biggest factor behind missed F1 2026 chances

Ferrari entered F1's new era with title ambitions, but Fred Vasseur admits race-weekend execution has cost the team. Despite front-running pace from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the Scuderia has only two wins and trails Mercedes by 145 points in the constructors' championship.

Why it matters:

Ferrari saw the 2026 regulation reset as a genuine chance to end its title drought. Instead, costly mistakes have left it stuck second, and Vasseur believes the gap is self-inflicted rather than a lack of speed.

The details:

• Ferrari sits second on 358 points, 145 behind Mercedes after 14 races.
• Leclerc and Hamilton have each won once, but Hungary and Netherlands errors cost points.
• Vasseur: "We missed a lot of points this season on execution, but probably less than our competitors."
• "It's not that we are losing compared to the others. We are losing points on ourselves," he added.

New tyres, reliability worries and smaller pit boxes with 11 teams have made weekends tougher, but Vasseur isn't making excuses: "My job is to focus on myself, not to focus on the other ones."

What's next:

Ferrari still has time, but the margin for error is gone. Vasseur wants sharper pit stops and strategy calls. If the SF-26 can finally deliver a clean weekend, Mercedes is within reach. If not, 2026 becomes another wasted opportunity.