Vasseur promises Ferrari will bounce back in Madrid

It is always the biggest weekend of the year for Ferrari, and the Tifosi know all too well how a home race at Monza can flip from a dream to a total rollercoaster. This time, the Italian Grand Prix promised plenty with and lining up side by side on the second row. Unfortunately, it all fell apart instantly when the two teammates tripped over each other at the first chicane.

That opening chaos was only the prelude to disaster. On the second lap, Leclerc suffered a massive crash at Parabolica. Thankfully he walked away unhurt, but the team was left with a wrecked SF-26 and potentially lost power unit elements. Following the red flag and the subsequent restart, Hamilton could manage no better than P6, a grim result that left Team Principal Fred Vasseur far from happy. "Tomorrow morning back at the factory we will prepare Madrid, and we'll come to Madrid with all the energy that we need to do a good result," Vasseur stated after Sunday's race. "But it's true that Monza for us, even if I spend the week to say that it's a normal race, it's not, as you can imagine."

The early-race collision has predictably reignited the thorny debate over managing the intra-team dynamics between Leclerc and Hamilton. After the checkered flag, Hamilton made it clear that his World Championship bid needs more support and that it is time for rules of engagement. While Vasseur declined to comment on the specifics of the first lap before speaking with both drivers, he offered a fascinating perspective on title prioritisation. Pointing to last year, Vasseur noted that if McLaren had put everything behind Piastri at this stage of the season, would have been champion. Even so, the Ferrari boss conceded that a decision point is approaching. "For sure, at one stage you have to take a decision. But I think it was too early to take a decision before Monza. Now we have time to discuss with the guys," he said.

Even without the dramatic opening laps, a clean afternoon would not have been straightforward for the red cars. Hamilton's struggles while battling through the pack laid bare the underlying limitations of the machine. Despite a new upgraded power unit providing a useful boost, straight-line performance and overtaking ability remained major pain points. Vasseur admitted that race pace was merely okay-ish, but the lack of top speed left them trapped tactically. Whenever they attacked, they drained the battery, only to lose the position on the very next straight line.