Vasseur lays down Baku challenge as Rosberg exposes Ferrari's 'Achilles' heel'
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has stressed the importance of executing weekends more cleanly after a costly run of results, setting the tone for a pivotal Azerbaijan Grand Prix where the wall-lined Baku street circuit punishes the slightest lapse in concentration.
Since winning the British Grand Prix at the start of July - their second win in the space of three races - Ferrari have seen their challenge in both championship battles fade. Charles Leclerc's second place in Belgium before the summer break is the team's only podium finish from the last five rounds, despite the SF-26 continuing to look competitive at different stages of race weekends.
Vasseur: 'We need to stay focused on ourselves'
With Baku's high-speed, confidence-heavy layout coming into play this weekend - and with the race unusually staged on Saturday - Vasseur says Ferrari must be at the top of their game.
"The last few races have demonstrated that our car can deliver a good level of competitiveness, but they have also highlighted how important it is to put every part of the weekend together," said the Ferrari team principal.
"Baku is a very specific challenge, where confidence in the car and execution are particularly important. It is also a circuit where the weekend can throw up several variables, so we need to stay focused on ourselves, adapt to whatever situations arise and make the most of every opportunity."
Rosberg: 'Ferrari always have messy weekends'
Ferrari's recent lack of podiums mean the team's hopes of ending an 18-year world title drought look increasingly remote this season. Lead scorer Lewis Hamilton slipped over 100 points behind Kimi Antonelli for the first time after retiring from the Madrid race with brake problems, while Ferrari are now 145 points behind Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship. Third-placed McLaren, meanwhile, have outscored the Scuderia at each of the last four rounds to close to within 52 points with nine rounds left.
Speaking on The F1 Show podcast, Sky Sports F1 pundit Nico Rosberg said Ferrari were consistently "very close" to the leading pace but that their execution of race weekends continued to let them down.
"Isn't it the case that Ferrari always have messy weekends?" asked the 2016 world champion. "It's just that Achilles' heel is still in the strategy area, communication area. That's always been a weakness and still is a weakness of theirs now.
"Because the pace of the car is close - it's damn close to being able to challenge consistency for race wins.
"And even now [in Madrid], let's not forget, Lewis would have in a comfortable second position in the race. He would have finished second after Max Verstappen had to let him through. He would have definitely finished second place behind Kimi quite easily.
"They're very close. They're just not putting it together properly. And they really need to somehow make progress on that. That's the main problem they're facing."
Racing on a Saturday in Baku
The 2026 Formula 1 season continues live on Sky Sports F1 this week as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicks off a triple-header of races, with the Baku race taking place on Saturday at midday. Every session is live on Sky Sports F1 from Thursday, with the race itself followed by full reaction on Chequered Flag and Ted's Notebook.
Ferrari head to the event knowing that in Baku, where driver momentum is key and mistakes are regularly punished, their season may hinge on finally putting a full weekend together.