Key Highlights
- Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has pushed back against claims that Red Bull is now the definitive team to beat in Formula 1.
- Max Verstappen has taken two consecutive grand prix victories from pole position in Malaysia and Singapore following Red Bull’s Baku upgrade package.
- Vasseur attributed Verstappen’s Singapore Grand Prix triumph largely to track position at Turn 1 rather than overwhelming car superiority.
Vasseur Downplays Red Bull Dominance Amid Verstappen Surge
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has rejected the notion that Red Bull has re-established itself as the undisputed benchmark in Formula 1, despite Max Verstappen securing back-to-back victories from pole position. The four-time world champion claimed his first triumph of the 2026 season with a commanding display in Malaysia before sweeping both the sprint and the main grand prix in Singapore a week later.
Red Bull’s recent resurgence follows a major technical upgrade introduced in Baku, which has propelled Verstappen on a run of five consecutive podium finishes. The upturn in form has placed Red Bull just seven points adrift of third-placed McLaren in the constructors’ standings with six rounds remaining. However, Vasseur views the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s recent form as part of an ever-shifting competitive landscape rather than a permanent return to dominance.
Fluctuating Hierarchy Across the 2026 Season
The 2026 championship began with runaway leader Mercedes taking victories in the first six rounds before both Ferrari and McLaren mounted challenges to close the performance deficit. Each of the chasing teams picked up two victories during the European phase of the season before Red Bull returned to the top step of the podium, illustrating how different developmental cycles have altered the competitive order.
When asked directly by Motorsport.com if Red Bull is the “team to beat”, Vasseur replied: “Not sure.”
He continued: “Honestly, they are doing very well, but it’s not the team to beat. If you look at the McLaren and Mercedes, if you have a look from the beginning of the season, Mercedes was flying, then we won two races, then McLaren won two races, then Red Bull won two or three.”
“I think it’s changing, because quite often you have four teams, I think yesterday you had four teams in less than two races.”
“It means that if someone is bringing upgrades next week, the classification can change. But the most important thing is to be focused on ourselves, not to think about the others.”
Disagreement Over Russell’s Assessment and the Importance of Track Position
Vasseur’s perspective stands in contrast to that of Mercedes driver George Russell, who asserted that Red Bull had become “the team to beat”
after Verstappen mastered two entirely distinct track layouts in Malaysia and Singapore. Ferrari saw Charles Leclerc finish second and Lewis Hamilton take sixth under the floodlights at the Marina Bay street circuit on Sunday.
According to Vasseur, the outcome of the Singapore race hinged heavily on the start rather than an outright performance gulf. Verstappen defended the lead from Leclerc heading into Turn 1, allowing the Dutch driver to dictate proceedings on a circuit notorious for limited overtaking opportunities.
Explaining the tactical limitations caused by aerodynamic wake, Vasseur added: “It was clear for us even when we were lapping cars, that as soon as you were two, three seconds behind, you were struggling more.”
“It was clear all the laps that we were lapping someone. For sure, you lose time when you overtake, but even before, when you were two, three seconds behind, it was difficult.”
“It means that the position in Turn 1 was critical.”
Why This Matters
The 2026 championship battle has developed into a four-way technical contest among Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull. With six rounds left on the calendar, Red Bull’s rapid clawback of points has significantly tightened the fight for podium spots in the constructors’ standings, trailing McLaren by merely seven points. As development packages yield varying performance leaps across different track configurations, maintaining consistent race-weekend execution and qualifying performance will be decisive in determining the final rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Fred Vasseur disagree that Red Bull is the team to beat?
Fred Vasseur highlighted that four different teams—Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull—have won multiple races during the 2026 campaign. He believes the competitive pecking order continues to swing from race to race depending on circuit characteristics and technical updates, rather than being dominated by a single outfit.
How close is Red Bull to McLaren in the constructors’ standings?
Following Max Verstappen’s consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore, Red Bull sits just seven points behind third-placed McLaren with six rounds left in the championship.
What factor decided the Singapore Grand Prix according to Ferrari?
Vasseur pointed to the start at Turn 1 as the defining moment of the grand prix. Because running within two to three seconds behind another car caused major handling and aerodynamic issues on the tight Marina Bay layout, holding track position off the line allowed Verstappen to control the event.
