Title: Ferrari Boss Fred Vasseur Jokes About Mercedes as Austrian Grand Prix Sparks De…. read more 👇 full details in the comments
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has made a light-hearted but eye-catching remark about Mercedes following the Austrian Grand Prix, joking that the Silver Arrows appear to become “faster when they slow down.” His comment was aimed at a controversial moment during qualifying at the Red Bull Ring, where Mercedes found themselves at the center of post-session discussions.
The Austrian Grand Prix weekend began with plenty of optimism inside the Ferrari garage. Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton arrived in Austria full of confidence after securing an impressive victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona earlier in June. That triumph had reignited his championship challenge and reduced the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to just 41 points, giving Ferrari hope that they could continue their momentum.
Expectations were high that Ferrari would once again challenge for pole position and the race victory. Throughout the practice sessions, the Italian outfit looked competitive, particularly over a single lap. Hamilton and his team-mate Charles Leclerc consistently featured near the top of the timing sheets, suggesting they had the pace needed to fight Mercedes and Red Bull.
Qualifying appeared to confirm those expectations. Ferrari delivered another strong performance, with both Hamilton and Leclerc producing excellent laps that briefly placed them first and second on the grid. For a short period, it looked as though the Scuderia had locked out the front row, a result that would have provided the perfect platform for Sunday’s race.
However, the celebrations inside the Ferrari garage did not last long. Mercedes driver George Russell produced a superb final flying lap in the closing moments of the session to snatch pole position away from Ferrari. His impressive effort pushed Hamilton and Leclerc down to second and third respectively, denying Ferrari what had seemed like a certain front-row sweep.
Following the session, attention shifted to an incident involving Mercedes during qualifying. The episode quickly became one of the main talking points of the weekend, prompting questions from the media and rival teams. Speaking afterward, Fred Vasseur responded with his trademark sense of humor, joking that Mercedes somehow become “faster when they slow down.” While clearly delivered with a smile, the remark reflected the frustration many teams felt over the controversial circumstances surrounding qualifying.
Despite Ferrari’s encouraging qualifying pace, the team struggled to convert that speed into race performance on Sunday. As the laps unfolded, the SF-26 lacked the consistency and long-run pace needed to challenge for victory. Hamilton battled hard throughout the race but was unable to match the pace of the leading Mercedes and Red Bull drivers, eventually crossing the finish line in fifth place.
Leclerc experienced an even more difficult afternoon. The Monegasque driver found himself slipping backwards as the race progressed and ultimately finished eighth, well below Ferrari’s expectations after such a promising qualifying session. The result highlighted a significant contrast between Ferrari’s strong single-lap speed and its inability to maintain competitive race pace over a full Grand Prix distance.
The disappointing outcome raised fresh questions about Ferrari’s overall performance package. Although the team has shown that it can produce an exceptionally quick car for qualifying, maintaining tyre performance and race consistency remains a challenge. Those weaknesses proved costly in Austria, where rivals were able to manage their tyres more effectively and maintain stronger pace during the longer stints.
For Hamilton, the Austrian Grand Prix represented a setback in his pursuit of the drivers’ championship. After climbing back into title contention with his Barcelona victory, he had hoped to continue reducing the deficit to Antonelli. Instead, Ferrari left Austria knowing that improvements will be needed before the next round if they are to keep their championship ambitions alive.
Even so, Ferrari can take positives from the weekend. Their qualifying performance demonstrated that outright speed is not lacking, and if the team can unlock stronger race pace, they remain capable of challenging at the front. Vasseur’s humorous comments may have grabbed headlines, but his primary focus will now be on ensuring Ferrari translates qualifying promise into race-day success as the championship battle intensifies.
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