Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur expressed optimism regarding the potential shown by the team`s car during practice sessions at the Spanish Grand Prix, suggesting its performance was better than indicated by some of Lewis Hamilton`s particularly strong radio messages.
Friday practice in Barcelona presented a mixed picture for Ferrari. While both cars finished in the top four in the initial session, they fell to half a second off the pace of the leading McLaren in the second session, with Charles Leclerc finishing fifth and Lewis Hamilton 11th.
Hamilton himself admitted his day was “not fun” and had earlier described his car over the radio during Practice Two as “not driveable.” He later indicated that the second session felt significantly worse than the first, suspecting a loss of downforce that the team hoped to resolve before Saturday`s running.
Vasseur responded to Hamilton`s candid feedback, referring to the in-car comments as “a bit extreme.” However, he also pointed out Hamilton`s strong performance on the soft tires during a later run, where his lap times were competitive with the top cars. Vasseur suggested this indicated the car might not have been as challenging to drive as Hamilton`s radio messages implied, viewing such communication as acceptable provided it`s followed by constructive team debriefs.
Discussing the car`s overall handling, Vasseur acknowledged that Ferrari is currently facing some difficulties with achieving optimal balance. He stated that improving in this area is necessary, particularly for single-lap performance and managing tires effectively at the start of a lap. While admitting the balance isn`t perfect, he also noted that this is likely a challenge shared by other teams on the grid.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc offered a slightly more hopeful outlook despite the warm conditions and resulting grip issues. He felt the day had been more positive than he had anticipated coming into the weekend and believed there was still untapped performance within the car, suggesting Ferrari is not far from where they need to be.
Looking at the wider competitive landscape during practice, McLaren`s Oscar Piastri topped the second session with a comfortable margin over George Russell`s Mercedes. Despite this strong showing, Piastri cautioned that he expects a close fight, anticipating strong challenges from rivals including Max Verstappen`s Red Bull, which is typically strong on this circuit.
Verstappen finished third fastest, sharing the same time as Lando Norris. While not completely satisfied with his car after the first day, the reigning champion seemed relatively upbeat compared to some previous Fridays, feeling a bit happier with the car even if they weren`t exactly at their desired performance level yet.
