Concerning signs for Ferrari as Fred Vasseur reveals gap to McLaren after a disappointing Japanese GP 

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had acknowledged a gap of two to three-tenths to rivals McLaren. He explained that his team cannot find any magic bullet to recover the big gap in a short time but instead focuses on consistent upgrades.

The Italian team had every F1 fan's attention before the beginning of the 2025 season as they signed seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. While the notable lineup of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc was expected to do wonders, the team has so far fallen short of expectations.

In Australia, Leclerc and Hamilton finished P8 and P10, respectively, followed by a double disqualification in China. Moreover, in Japan, while the Monagasque driver finished P4, the British racer slipped to P7.

After the race in Suzuka, both the drivers were unhappy with the car's performance. Meanwhile, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had acknowledged that his team's gap to constructors championship leader McLaren is significant.

Talking to Motorsportweek, he said:

"The average picture is that we are two or three tenths behind the pole position yesterday and perhaps two or three tenths behind today."

Vasseur added that there is no magic bullet to fix the gap in a short period of time.

“If last year we took a good step forward from the beginning of the season to mid-season or whatever, it’s not that we found a magic bullet. We never find something on the car at three or four-tenths. Quite often, when you improve, it’s because you are putting together ten areas with two or three hundredths of a second, and you are putting everything together, you are improving on the balance; you are helping the driver to get the best from the car," he added.

The Maranello-based squad is seated in fourth position on the constructors championship standings at 35 points, while McLaren is leading the pack with 111 points.

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Fred Vasseur reveals lower ride height issue for Ferrari

Ferrari at F1 Grand Prix Of Japan - Source: Getty

After a disappointing Japanese GP, Lewis Hamilton told the media that certain elements in the car were underperforming. While he refused to spill the details, team principal Fred Vasseur has hinted that SF-25's ride height could be the problem Hamilton was referring to.

Talking to the media, Vasseur said:

“We all want to run the car lower; we would all have more downforce in the situation, for everybody but there is a limit. The limit is bottoming, and the limit is the regulations." [via F1]

He added that every team is dealing with the same issue, as figuring out the right setup is a task on some challenging tracks. However, for Ferrari, time is running out. In three races, they have managed to score only 35 points. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are not in the top five of the championship race as the battle is momentarily narrowed down between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.