Mercedes occupies the front row of the grid once again for the upcoming Japanese GP. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, partly thanks to the extremely competitive W17 car, are currently unstoppable in 2026. Only Ferrari has been able to challenge the Silberpfeile occasionally, although Lewis Hamilton warned in Suzuka that he is still ‘miles’ behind his former team. According to Fred Vasseur, that should change after the spring break.
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Kimi Antonelli and George Russell claimed P1 and P2 respectively in Japan on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ferrari faced competition from McLaren, which seemed at least as competitive as the Italians behind both Mercedes cars. Vasseur admitted afterwards that Ferrari lost ground in Q3 compared to the rest of the field and is aiming for a strategic comeback in the race. At the same time, the team principal is focused on the upcoming spring break in April. Reportedly, the Scuderia has big plans for the SF-26, and the tide must be turned during the next race weekend in Miami.
‘A new championship begins in Miami’
“We did better in Q2 than in Q3,” Fred Vasseur reacted after qualifying to the Italian branch of Sky Sports. “We need to find out why that was and extract more potential from the car. We are focusing on the race, on a good start, and on a smart strategy,” he assured. Leclerc and Hamilton will start from fourth and sixth on the grid on Sunday. Both were less than enthusiastic about their performance on Saturday, particularly due to the energy management in Suzuka.
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In the lead-up to Saturday’s session, Ferrari seemed to be in contention for the top grid spots, but in the end, Mercedes once again came out on top. “We are doing our best, we have already fought with Mercedes,” said Vasseur. “Of course, the goal is to win races, but we have also already scored a lot of points. However, a new championship begins from the Miami race weekend,” he promised significantly. Due to the war in the Middle East, the planned Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been cancelled. This unforeseen spring break offers opportunities for Ferrari to arrive in Miami with extensive upgrades. Reportedly, a filming day is already taking place at Monza in April to test certain aerodynamic elements in practice.
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