Frederic Vasseur lauds Ferrari's Formula 1 resurgence despite setbacks

The Italian outfit began the year as the second-quickest team on the grid, but their pace has since been overshadowed by the surging performances of McLaren and Mercedes.

Despite this decline in results, Ferrari have managed to accumulate 117 more points than they had at the same stage last year, showcasing a notable improvement.

Reflecting on the season's trajectory, Vasseur has commented on the dominance Red Bull displayed early on, saying, "I think it's true that we had the first part of the season until China where Red Bull was flying."

However, Ferrari found a rhythm, securing two or three wins before McLaren and Mercedes began to close in.

Vasseur emphasized the competitive nature of the current season, remarking, "I think that the four teams did a similar job. It's not quite often that after 12 or 13 races you can have four teams in position to win the championship."

Vasseur downplayed the importance of statistics but highlighted Ferrari's progress by pointing out, "We scored something like 60 per cent more points than one year ago after 12 races.

"We reduced the gap by 300 per cent on Red Bull."

As Formula 1 enters its summer break, Ferrari remain optimistic about their chances in the tightly contested championship.

The battle will resume at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, 25 August, where teams will tackle the 4.259-kilometre Circuit Zandvoort over 72 laps, aiming to make their mark in the second half of the season.